The New Assassin's Den
by Cearbhail
Summary: I'm going to England to start a new Assassin Den? And you want me to mess with King John so that King Richard will be distracted? This is one of the most important tasks you can think of, so some other Assassin that you refuse to name can complete his mission? And... I've only been an Assassin for one week! ... Ok.
1. Ch 1: New Assignment

**Cearbhail: **_So, here we are. Another new story. You'll have to bare with me, I'm not good with history or making fun of it. Well, I am getting pretty good at making fun of stuff so I won't have a problem on that front, but history and stuff in Assassin's Creed... we'll see. I'm sure everyone will correct me if I'm wrong on something. A lot of history buffs, I'm sure._

_Anyway, try to enjoy the New Assassin's Den and let me know if you enjoy the ride. It might be a long one._

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...

[Malik Ishtar]

Ok, so, I'm an Assassin. I'm eighteen, the age that is required to become a full Assassin. Well, not an Assassin like Altair, but you know, a standard Assassin. My name is Malik Ishtar, not to be mistaken with Marik, the man who brought back the treasure to our Master. No, I'm a new Assassin, just given my pure white robes with overly-long tails that I accidentally step on from time-to-time. And I have a bright red sash that I hang my many throwing knives on. Everyone knows I'm around when I walk now. Before I was wearing the standard initiate robes that were shorter and blander, but now I have the new robes. I'm an Assassin.

So, I'm a bit of a klutz. I've been told that if I was handed a sword that I'd fall on it. Well…there was a battle recently and I hate to say it but…

…

"So, how's the wound?" The herbalist asked as she started pushing green mulch into the hole in my side.

I felt a sharp tang of pain and I tasted iron in my mouth. Some things never change: like just how bad a stab to the side feels. Yes, I was stabbed, as were many Assassins during the battle caused by our greatest Assassin, Altair. I guess even he can make mistakes because if he hadn't messed up his mission, I would not be in the herbalist's home receiving a cure-all potion. The wounded from the battle filled the whole room, barely leaving any lying space. We found a way to squeeze in here, at least. I feel sorry for the other Assassins. I made it out with a hole in the side of my abdominals; mostly everyone else had a limb lobbed off, or worse. I won't mention the dead littering the streets still. We've only just gotten the battle over with.

Not that I have any disrespect for Altair. I mean, he only disgraced our order, broke our rules, and then led the Templars right to our doorstep. When they did show up on our doorstep, I was one of the first ones out. You see, I'm a new Assassin, just promoted. I was at the top of my class, if not for a few mistakes where I slipped and lit the courtyard on fire. Or the time the chickens ran into the Master's study. I…I don't want to remember those days. I'm a new man, a strong man. No more mistakes. Well, that was the goal anyway.

I only lasted maybe ten Templars before my foot caught on one of my long robe-tails. When I fell down, I didn't even have to be stabbed by the enemy. I landed on one of their stupid swords. I think the Templars actually paused just to gawk at me before the _great and powerful_ Altair just happened to leap off a building, landing on six Templars, killing all of them with the slightest of ease. I mean, we all can't be the _great and powerful _Altair. Some of us have to _actually_ try.

Not to sound spiteful, I had great respect for Altair. He was my role model for a while until he started going through his rebellious 'I'm going to do it my way' phase. I mean, I remember when I was a child that he used to teach me what it meant to be an Assassin. Now, who do I have to look up to? Well, right now I'm looking up at the herbalist, who's still rubbing a healing salve in my stomach hole.

"It looks like it might be infected, but other than that, you look just fine." She told me as she started wrapping up my side with a thin cloth. She patted me on my wound, smiling wickedly. "I heard you were the first one out there. So, what happened?"

One of the older Assassins turned to look over at us. "He fell on his sword!" He replied through his wrapped-up face. I mean, seriously, his entire head was wrapped up in cloth.

The herbalist looked down at me and I could see that she was trying to hide a growing smile. She wanted to laugh at me. "Hey!" I said as I tried to stand up. "I was doing just fine until that moment."

The Assassin nodded his head, "Sure thing, kid. We've all been there. I remember Altair accidentally let all the carrier pigeons out of their cages during his mission-reporting class. It took us days to get all those pigeons back."

Another Assassin with a leg that was broken looked up at me. "Yeah, kid. We've all been there. Heck, I landed perfectly in a pale of hay but…" He gestured down at his leg. "shit happens."

"Excuse me, herbalist. Are there any Assassins in here in capable condition?" Someone asked at the door.

She looked around the room. Most of us looked more incapable than corpses. When she finally found me, she smiled and pointed at me. "The new guy's fine. He only fell on his sword."

"Another one? What did he do, step on his robe-tails?" The man asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

The man walked into the room, and I noticed it was the Master, Al Mualim.

I pushed myself to my feet, but the Master just waved me back down. "Assassin, do not stand; just listen. I have sent an Assassin out to the field to drive back the Templars. I feel that another Assassin will prove most valuable, but I do not wish to send out my most highly skilled, so I feel it is time to give you a proper test of your ability."

"Master, I am honored, but I was only promoted a week ago." I started to protest. Was I refusing an order from the Master? I would be lucky to be alive in the next few seconds.

The Master did not seem to mind, but I could see the slight humor in his eyes. "I understand your hesitation, and this assignment will not be easy. I would like to discuss the details with you in my study. Once we are there, I'll present you with your new gear and your mission." He turned to leave and then looked back at me. "Report to me once you feel you are able, Assassin. You are…Marik Ishtar, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, Master. I am _Malik_ Ishtar."

He only nodded to me before turning to leave. "I will be in my study. Please do not dolly." He confidently strode out of the herbalist's home, leaving me to the herbalist and the other Assassins.

The Assassin with his entire head wrapped, turned to look in my direction. "You get an assignment from the Master after your first battle? Congratulations, kid. The Master must really believe in you."

I looked over at him and shook my head. "I'm a klutz, I don't think he'd select me because he believes in me."

He only shrugged back. "Why else would he give you an assignment?"

…

[Al Mualim]

I quickly made my way back to my study, making slight detours to make plans for the dead. I tasked some of the Assassin Guards to handle the cleanup. I had a lot to do and little time to do it in. Altair was already on his way to deal with the other Templars that know about the Apple. Once he's done with his work, I'll be the only one that knows about its fully potential. Unfortunately, there are still many Templars too close. I need to thin the herd a bit. If I send an Assassin to King Richard's kingdom and he makes chaos for his backup…I'll be sure to split some of Richard's forces up. Maybe make them look behind themselves long enough for me to get Altair someplace useful.

Unfortunately, that Assassin is very likely to die and I do not waste my Assassins so uselessly. So, I needed someone I don't like, and that new Assassin ruined my study several times with chickens. I lost some of my favorite texts because chicken crap. He's a pathetic example of an Assassin and he creates chaos wherever he goes. I'm sure that by sending him to England to mess with Richard's throne, he will take some of that chaos with him. Better than leaving him here, making our lives worse. No, I feel that this is the right move. Perhaps he will mature into a responsible Assassin and come back a hero. Or maybe he'll die. Either way, this is only a diversion so Altair can play his role quicker.

So, in my study I waited for him to come in. I waited all day. I finally saw him through my stained glass window as he limped up the hillside to enter the training yard. The sun was now setting. I wanted him to arrive maybe a few hours earlier, but I'll take what I can get.

I seated myself down as I watched my new Assassin walk up the staircase carefully hugging his side. I began to wonder if I was perhaps doing the right thing. This Assassin does need a proper test of his skill and I do want him out of this town so that he won't cause more problems for us, but at the same time, he might not be ready for such a task, even if it's basically a diversionary tactic.

The Assassin stopped in front of my desk, bowing his head to me. "You wished to speak to me, Master?"

I took in a deep breath before I said anything. I had to think about this, but there wasn't much more to consider. Too much was at stake. If Altair failed, if Richard's army continued marching in, my rule would fall and our way of life would die with us. This was the only option.

"I have mentioned that I have an assignment for you. A test…of your abilities." I started. I stood up from my desk, searching his eyes. He looked ready, if not a little sore. "King Richard is pressing into our kingdom, and he threatens to overrun us. I already have one of my most trusted Assassins out taking care of personal matters that will prove effective in removing him, but I still need another Assassin to force Richard to sweat. So, here's what I want. I want you to travel to England, to the town of Nottingham and create as much mischievous as you can. King Richard's replacement is in that town. I do not want you to assassinate him, but to keep him busy. I want you to distract the entire country of England as well as you can."

He looked as shocked as I could have imagined. "You want me…only me…to go to England and fight the infidels?"

I nodded. "You know how to sabotage, correct? You go to the body and you start lobbing off limbs until all that's left is the head. I do not want you to cut off the head; only wound the head's body. Besides, you won't be alone. I want you to start up a new Assassin Den in Nottingham while you're there. If you recruit some new members and teach them the ways of the Assassin, I'm sure you will be just fine."

And I meant that. It was a solid tactic we had used for centuries. We send one Assassin to a town, and he secretly increases our numbers while slowly bringing the town to our rule. If I sent a whole group of Assassins inside Nottingham to set up a base, they'd be found out. If I sent in one and recruited citizens of that town to our cause, it would be much more inconspicuous.

He finally started nodding. He bowed his head to me, saying, "Yes, of course, Master. I will obey."

I nodded in return. "Send me updates on your progress. I expect you to send your reports weakly or immediately if something important happens."

He bowed his head to me again, saying, "Yes, Master. I shall begin at once."

I shook my head and gestured to my table. "You have not taken up your new tools. England was some special weapons that you could take advantage of. The crossbow being one of them."

He looked down at the crossbow lying on my table. I had taken it off of one of the dead Templar soldiers that died under Altair's log ambush. I did not believe in using the enemy's weapons, but I'm sure my new Assassin could use every edge he could use. "Remember to take your robe off while you travel. I doubt many people in England will be dressed in a long white robe with a pronounced hood. You will stick out like a crow in a pigeon coup."

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**Cearbhail: **_So, the first chapter is finished. Not exactly the best opening I've ever done, but I feel it gets the job done. Expect some of the craziest stuff I can imagine in this story, while still competing with a halfway decent storyline filled with parody humor that exploits some Assassins Creed stuff. I'm going to have fun with this._


	2. Ch 2: The Hood

**Cearbhail: **_A new chapter. A good long one too. I'm impressed. This came out better than I had expected. If you like it, please let me know. And yes, I do realize the historical crapbasket I have right now, with the Mongols, Assassins, and blah blah blah. It's a parody, don't get hung up about it, just enjoy the story... damn history buffs -_-_

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[Malik Ishtar]

_Dear journal,_

_Because I am starting a new adventure, I have decided to log my thoughts in a journal. I do this so that I may look back and think about how I have grown or remember something that happened recently. I will begin with what happened in the past four days. I was in the battle to take back Masyaf from the invading force led by the Templars. I was lightly wounded when I um…was stabbed by an enemy sword. It's ok because I totally took them out afterwards. Then I bravely marched off to the herbalist to receive her healing. She patched me up and then Al Mualim invited me into his study to give me a top-secret assignment. I am invading England and messing with the Templars. I am to mess with King Richard's replacement, some king located in Nottingham. Keep his attention divided so that the Templars will be distracted and chaotically running around. The only restriction is that I'm not to kill any higher ups. Only knights and stuff. Too bad for the King of England then._

_After I promised the herbalist that I'd be back for her hand in marriage, I took off on horse for England. I think she'll wait. She only shoved a healing salve into my arms and told me in my dreams. Hear that? She wants to be in my dreams. On my way to England, I seemed to have gotten lost when I ended up by some giant wall that stretched on for miles. But I found some nice barbaric tribe called 'Mongols' that promised to show me where I was on the map if I helped them get past this stupid wall. So, I climbed up and killed the guards. The Mongols were very happy with me and gave me some meat that looked human-ish. Well, it tasted bland and after an hour, I was hungry again. But, it was kind of them anyway. They told me how to get to England._

_On the third day, I ended up in France. I could tell by the smell. I met these three charming men that were doing as ordered by their French King Louie. I helped them kill off some traitors in return for a map of the area and a carriage for my horse. It's a small carriage, really just big enough for store some food and for me to sit down comfortably. I used that map to find my way to England, somehow. It's now the fourth day and I can say that I'm finally in England and I've not even seen one Templar knight. They must all be out to the war. Oh well, I'm still tasked to stay here and create chaos. I think I'll just go through the, how they call it, The Sherwood Forest. Once I reach Nottingham, I'm sure to do some real damage._

_Malik Ishtar, Assassin._

…

I closed my journal and sat back. The forest pathways were nice enough for me to easily enjoy the ride. Sherwood Forest seemed a nice quiet place. I doubted that I'd run into anyone in here. If the map was correct, I would be in Nottingham in a couple hours. My horse had been going like crazy for the past few days and it deserved some rest. The forest itself wasn't a bad location to hold up. It wasn't like I had a base inside Nottingham to set myself up in. I would be homeless unless I just broke into someone's home and killed them. That might attract some dangerous attention, however. Not to mention, I'm sure everyone would be suspicious of a Middle Eastern just popping up in England's capital during a time of war. I don't need to add any more attention than was necessary.

I looked down at my Assassin robes. I hadn't changed out of them, but I had pulled down the hood. I mean, it doesn't matter how I dress, I'll stick out regardless. If the enemy finds out about me, probably the better. Still, I should hide out and get a good look at this place and how it works. Who knows, I might find some recruits.

So, I pulled on the reigns and I heard the horse cry out in alarm before she stopped. I jumped off the carriage and walked up to the horse. I untied her from the carriage and carried her over to the river I could see just off the path. I gave her a few minutes to get a drink while I went back to the carriage to get some apples for her. When I reached the carriage, I didn't see any of my supplies that I had just packed. I had just been robbed!

I cleared my mind and allowed my eyes to close. When I opened them, the world had turned blue and white, my ears were silent, my other senses sharpened. Faint images of a man wearing a hood pulled over his head started forming near my carriage. The man jumped up onto the back of my carriage and he waved his hand. Several other men, all dressed similarly, ran up and started grabbing my crates. Then, just like that, they took off.

I started cursing under my breath. I had only stepped away for a few seconds. They must have moved really quickly and quietly to come into my carriage and steal my goods. Not to mention they must have been following me for a while, just waiting for me to step away. Really good at stealthing. I think I just found some recruits. Or enemies. They must know the area and if they're thieves, I bet I can get them to work for me. The only problem is that well…they're thieves. Either way, I had to get my supplies back.

I looked back at my horse. She should be just fine where she was. I had to follow this trail before it faded for good. I started replaying the image and started chasing after the invisible phantoms. When they stopped, I thought I had reached a dead end. But they were pulling out sticks with strings attached to them. I heard about these, they were bows. That had to be arrows that they were attaching to their bows. Then they fired the bows and started jumping into the trees. Somehow they had defied gravity as they ran straight up. I can only guess that they had wire attached to their arrows and had used them to pull themselves up the trees. That made sense.

So, I did the Assassin thing and started climbing the tree. It was pretty easy, considering I've climbed whole buildings and mountains for training and then jumped off of them into haystacks. I think climbing a tree would be easy.

When I cleared the first ten feet of the tree, I lit up my eyes again. I could see the thieves now racing across the branches, almost running at a quickened pace. I took off, pushing off my branch, landing on one not too far away. I was retracing step-for-step the leader's steps. I had to find him, if not some of his comrades.

I continued to keep my eyes open on both the leader's trail and where my feet were landing while I raced across the branches. I don't know how long I continued chasing, but eventually my eyes started aching, so I stopped. I decided a different tactic was needed. This was his normal path, so…if I weakened the trees, sabotaged them…I could make it impossible for him to run.

I quickly shook that idea away. If I ruined these woods, and he joined me, then it would not make sense for me to ruin his advantage. No, I would find him and then see about recruiting him. If he did not join, then I would either kill him or destroy his advantage.

I ran as fast as I could, dodging odd branches, while keeping my feet on some other branch at all possible times. I didn't bother looking down at the ground, I knew how far down it was. I kept my eye on the spectral thief and attempted to keep up with his retreating image. I wondered how I was going to catch up with him when I was too busy keeping behind his afterimage. Then his image finally stopped. He motioned for his followers to stop as well.

I stopped and continued to glance at him. He gave some weird flick of his fingers and his thieves all took off. He was busy looking down at something. He started climbing down the tree, so I followed. When we both touched the ground, I could see him coming up to a river. He was reaching for a horse, untying it. Hey! That was my horse.

The thief jumped up onto the horse, pulled on the reigns, and took off with it. Shab! He stole my horse! I clicked off my vision and rubbed my exhausted eyes. He led me in a circle, hoping to get me away from my horse. Then, he stole my horse. I shook my head in disappointment. Oh well. I couldn't do much about it now. I could continue chasing him but he was faster than I could keep track of, especially with my horse.

So, I reached into my pocket to pull out my map. I felt it wadded up in my pocket. Weird, I thought I folded it. When I pulled it out, I didn't see my map, I saw a crumpled piece of paper. A note. I uncrumpled it and read it.

_Thank you, kind sir, for: your food, your horse, your map, oh, your gold. And your journal. I had an interesting read. I want to meet you, but not here. In Nottingham, since you are journeying there anyway. By the well on the west side of the town, near the entrance to the forest. I will be there at sun down. Just follow my trail; you seem to be good at it._

_Signed, The Hood._

..

I rolled my eyes as I crumped the note and tossed it back in my pocket. Great, this guy had time to get into my back pocket and shove this back there, while stealing my map in the process. When the hell did he do that? Some Assassin I was…getting owned by a thief and not even knowing it. I bet this stuff never happened to Altair.

I sighed as I started trudging my way through the pathway. I used my sight to see the thief charging off with my horse every few minutes, just to make sure I was heading in the right direction. In an hour of walking, I could finally see the outlines of buildings and smoke. As I drew closer to the boundary for the forest, I clearing that began the town of Nottingham. I could even see the well that the thief had told me to meet him at. The sun was beginning to set. Good, I made it here just in time.

The walk itself was long but it gave me a chance to think about what exactly this meant. This thief was good at whatever it was that he did. I bet he'd make a great addition to my team. I figured if I put a team together that it would be easier for me to create problems for the Templars. I wouldn't have to worry about getting caught and that being the end of it. A team would make it easier for me to elude capture or even escape.

So, I pulled my hood up as I walked into the clearing. I waited near the well for this meeting to take place. It didn't take long. I'd say only after a few minutes of me standing there, I could see the thief walking up to me. He was wearing a green cloak not different from my own robes. He had that bow thrown over his body and his had a quiver of arrows over his shoulder. Yeah, this was my thief alright.

I looked around, activating my vision. I could see splashes of red forming up in the trees. Those must have been his guys all watching us. Maybe this was a trap. But, what else could he steal from me? He had everything but my weapons. Oh…he wanted my weapons. That I can understand.

The Hood spread his arms out, smiling at me. I could barely see his face but I could easily see his smile. It looked genuine. Too bad I couldn't trust his smile any more than I could trust his people staring down at me from the treetops.

I nodded to him. "I got your note. So, now. You wanted to meet me. Why?"

He bowed to me, an unusual way to greet someone. "I just wanted to meet you face-to-face. I am Robin Locksley, but everyone just calls me the 'Hood'. You are Marik Ishbar, right?"

"Malik Ishtar." I responded. "So, why did you want to meet, or did you just want to rob me again?"

The Hood shook his head. "I stole from you to see how you'd react. You reacted by chasing me. You lost even more though but you still followed me. I congratulate you on chasing mercenaries through the forest, up in the treetops no less. I bow to your courage." He bowed again. "And I offer you, information. You are here to mess with King John, correct?"

"That depends. Is this King John the ruler of Nottingham and King Richard's replacement? Will messing with him reach the ears of King Richard? Will messing with him disrupt the Templars?" I asked him continuously.

The Hood nodded to each of those. "Not only that, but if you do your job correctly, you can even disrupt King Richard's supply runs. If his troops run out of food and arms, they'd have to retreat early."

"Then yes, I'm here to mess with King John. My question is this; why let me know this? You live here, are you not in favor of your king?" I asked as I started pacing around. I was finally getting some information. I wanted this flow of information to continue, but it would help if I could trust him first.

The Hood gripped his bow and squeezed his hands. I could see him clenching his teeth. My mentioning his favoring of the king had upset him. He must not like the king after all. "I'm in favor of King Richard. King John is taking all the power he can get and he's ruining the lives of the common folk around here. Taxes are destroying lives, boys are being recruited as hunters and warriors. He's even hiring Assassins to kill King Richard so that he can claim power for all time. You are an Assassin but yet…you're here to hurt King John. If you create enough of a mess that King Richard has to return, then King John will lose his throne. So, helping you will help us. I do have a question for you, however." He paced around, coming closer to me. "Why not just assassinate King John? That will force King Richard to return."

I shook my head. "Not my assignment. I'm only to slow the Templars down. If I kill King John, my presence will be discovered and I will most likely be killed. That will compromise the Brotherhood and the Templars will be on a death-march to kill us. It won't be a crusade anymore, no reach for holy land, but an extermination of our group."

The Hood nodded. "Very well. I will take any help I can get. Let me show you around the town, Assassin. From there you can tell me about your plans."

I nodded back to him. "Thank you, Hood. I was not expecting you to be so…cooperative."

He reached in to take my hand for a handshake. I accepted it with a nod of my head and waved him forward. "Let us walk the town. I wish to find a suitable place to fill you in on what it is that I need."

That was when I heard a loud scream from nearby. The Hood cursed under his breath. "No, not another one!" He screamed as he took off running. I took off, following behind him.

"What is it?" I asked.

He didn't slow for me. "There's a man stealing women from their homes and off the streets. He sells them to the French as cheap entertainment. I've been chasing him for weeks, but he always escapes. I know that scream…that was Red." He said as he sprinted down an alleyway.

"Red?" I asked. I jumped over a pile of hay as I tried to keep up with him.

"Yes. Little Red." He said as he jumped up onto a roof. I followed right behind.

…

[Little Red]

"What do you have in the basket, Little Red?" Big Wolfe said as he pushed me against the wall. He was a giant of a man with a big stomach and a nasty appetite for deflowering women. He could easily crush me with a push of his hand. I wish I hadn't decided to go to my Grandma's house tonight. Sure, it was bingo night but…I should have just stayed in. The streets weren't a good place for a small woman like myself at night. I guess I was just curious about what was happening to my coven. I guess I knew now. Big Wolfe was taking them.

I looked down in my basket. What was inside it? Well, he was about to find out. I pulled my basket up and shoved it at him. "Just wine and pie. Want it?" I asked, my voice coming out as a worried cry.

He kept me pinned with one of his hands but used the other one to lift the lid of my basket. "What is the crap? This isn't wine!"

I packed as much pepper flakes and dust as I could imagine. I didn't know what I was going to find, but I knew that pepper flakes could blind anyone. I rammed my knee into my basket, turning my head and closing my eyes as I did so. I heard, rather than felt, the pepper fly into the air. I had to keep my eyes closed until I got a chance to pour water down my face just in case I got some pepper in my face.

I heard Wolfe howl in pain and I felt his hand clear from my shoulder. I took off running as fast as I could, trying to feel my way through the alleyway. I risked opening my eyes and was rewarded with a hot flash of pain in my left eye. I guess I got pepper in it. I turned around to see Wolfe scratching at his eyes as he tried to find me. "You better run, Little Red! Don't just stand there boys, go get her!"

Boys? I found that out when suddenly several men came out of nowhere and tackled me to the ground. They clasped my arms and held me down while Wolfe blindly stumbled out of the alleyway and into the field where I now was. Why wasn't someone coming to help me? Was it because I was a witch? It had to be.

I watched as Wolfe stumbled up to me, still rubbing his eyes. They looked bloodshot. "Little Red, Little Red…quit running from me. Just give up, like all your little girlfriends did."

I struggled against my holders. "What did you do to them? Did you rape and kill them?"

He stepped back, laughing at my accusation. "Who? The big bad Wolfe, rape and kill? No, what I do is profitable. I sell your little whores on the black market for weapons that I in turn, sell to the Templars for a nice profit. I run a vast market of weapons and whores. You're next on my list. I'm sure you'll grab a nice price with the French."

I watched as more of his allies formed up behind him. "But of course, I am going to test you out to see if you're even worth selling."

As he started walking up to me, I saw a flash of white fall from a ceiling, landing in a pile of used hay. "What? Is this chicken crap? Oh great." I heard someone mumble from the hay.

Wolfe heard it too. He turned around and looked at the hay. "Is someone there?" When no one answered, he motioned to his goons and they started towards the haystack.

Goon 1 walked up to the pile of hay. "Sir, I think that no one's in here." Then he was suddenly being pulled in. "Oh God why!" He screamed as he disappeared in the hay. "Oh God…he stabbed me! He's still stabbing me!"

Goon 2 stepped back. He suddenly reached for his throat. I could see the crimson red of blood rolling down his neck. He fell backwards, silent. I took this time to shake violently. I still had pepper flakes on my dress. If I shook them loose, I could get them in my captor's eyes. I found myself closing my eyes as I brought my legs up. My captors screamed in pain as my legs contacted with them. Maybe I couldn't reach their heads because my legs were short and I was only 5' 2''. But the pepper dust was definitely in their eyes now.

I broke loose from their hold and took off running. I heard Wolfe scream my name and he took off in pursuit of me. I ran back into the alley. If I grabbed my basket, I could use more pepper against him. It was the only weapon I had. When I turned around, I didn't see Wolfe. He wasn't chasing me. I wondered where he went.

…

[Malik]

I watched as the man took off running. I couldn't kill him. From what I heard, he was a supplier of the Templars. They would notice his disappearance and I wasn't to mess with big time players. But that didn't mean I couldn't screw with him and make his life hell. I watched from the rooftops as the girl known as Little Red brushed off her white dress and pulled a red hood over her head. Ah…so she was named after her red hood. I thought it was because she was a ginger, which she was.

I looked up at Hood, who was nodding in joy. "You did a good job, Assassin. You live up to your namesake. Thank you for protecting her. She's a minority here."

"Why?" I asked.

"She is a member of a coven, a den of witches. People fear what they do not understand and for that…she is ostracized. I had a feeling that the disappearances were not accidental. Now I know. Wolfe is selling the coven members as sex slaves to get weapons for your enemy: the Templars. I'd say that protecting the covens and killing Wolfe would benefit your cause, as would messing with King John. You came here to mess with the Templars. In doing so, you will be helping our town." He stuck out his hand. "May I join your cause?"

I took his hand. "Yes you may. And we should have a chat with Little Red as well. If I'm going to be watching her, I might as well recruit her as well."

Hood nodded. "It would benefit us to have her on our side."

I stepped away from the roof. "Tomorrow perhaps. Can you follow her? I need to find a place to sleep."

The Hood placed a hand on my shoulder. "We both will retire at my hideout. I'll have one of my men follow her and keep her safe. Come, let's rest."

* * *

**Cearbhail: **_So, the conclusion to the second chapter. It's getting better and soon the crazy stuff will happen._


	3. Ch 3: Nottingham

**Cearbhail: **_And we're moving along. This chapter is pretty short but it moves the story along so I'll go with it._

* * *

[Malik Ishtar]

_Dear journal,_

_My first day in Nottingham has been quite exciting and fulfilling. I do admit, I am a master at finding natural talent. I ran across a thief in the woods and allowed him to steal from me so that I could test his stealth. I ended up meeting this thief in Nottingham and pushed him for information, while introducing myself as an Assassin. He was most impressed. He then began to show me around the town when we heard a woman scream._

_We raced across the rooftops as all Assassins do to reach our destination. We found a lone woman being harassed and abducted by a known Templar supplier. We harassed him back, killing his men and chasing him off. I would have killed him myself but I am forbidden to kill high-up Templar agents. It might backfire and cause damnation to my Order. Of course, just harassing the Templars could insight the same thing. But, where would be the fun in that? If I'm going to be here targeting Templars, I might as well have fun with it._

_So, this new possible recruit. His name is Robin Locksley but everyone calls him the 'Hood'. I don't know much more than that. I do know he runs his own team of thieves and mercenaries. They are now at my disposal. He is a valuable ally to say the least. He knows the area well and he knows my enemies well. He also hates the Templars and pledges his help in messing with King John. Today, this Robin fellow is going to show me around town, show me all that needs fixed. Not my job, but might as well while I'm here. If it will mess with the Templars, then I will do all I can. We are also visiting a witch by the name of Little Red. What an odd name._

_Malik Ishtar, Assassin._

_…_

Hood had a small camp outside Nottingham. It was probably a mile into the forest. Their camp was well hidden. I would never have guessed that they would have housed their little base in such an area. It was marshy. No one would needlessly come back here. Well, you know what they say: to avoid detection, make camp where no one would ever want to go. The camp was at the top of several hills surrounded by marshy swamps and thick trees. They used some small disposable tents that barely had any coverage. They barely had any food, any cleaned water. It was amazing that they survived off of this lifestyle for so long. With the numbers they had and the skills they possessed, this small team could easily take over a small settlement and claim it as their own. But, they didn't. They chose to stay out here in the woods. It was an honorable thing to do, to say the least. It gave me some respect for them. But this is no place for an Assassin. I need a base, not a marsh.

Good thing I had brought my own tent with me when I made this journey to England. It was enough to keep me warm while I rested last night. Even though it got pretty bitter in the evening, the thieves refused to light a fire. Creating a fire in the dead of night or even in the day would send a signal to all surrounding scouts to the base's location. So, whatever cooking that needed done were done at least two miles away from the campground. Hood's crew seems to have made enemies while fighting the King John. If they've made enemies, it means that they are good at their job. I expect the best out of his men, though I haven't yet seen them fight.

I had the opportunity to observe Hood while he talked tactics with his men. His men really respected him. They came to him for every problem that they encounter: the lack of food, the storm pulling in, the knights firing arrows down at us, the shortage of tights. You know, normal stuff.

When it came to the knights' attack, it was a pretty fast reply. It was an attack of maybe ten knights that stumbled on our camp. The knights looked over at us, started firing arrows, and pretty much just tried to kill us. Hood returned fire, amazingly killing almost every knight in a few minutes. I would have attacked, but I was busy putting my robes on. They are a hassle to get on so by the time I got everything on, the fight was already over. Damn robes. Boots too.

The attack lasted a few minutes. I was resting my eyes when it started. Then I heard people screaming, crying out orders for attack. I heard the Hood's voice next. "Archers, east side, 20 meters! Take cover!"

It was at that time that I started pulling my robes on. After a minute of messing around with it, I pulled my hood up and found it flying up my face. I had thrown my robes on backwards. So, I had to spin my robes around. By the time I got that done, I had to attach my sash. That was easy. Then I had to attach my knives. By the time I got that done, several arrows had flown through my tent, whizzing past me.

I had just finished pulling on my second boot before Hood stuck his head into my tent. "Where were you at? I thought you'd have been out there fighting."

I gestured to my outfit and shrugged. "Do you think I just sleep in all this? I'm wearing nearly six layers of complicated clothes that have to look perfect every second of the day. It takes me a while to get dressed."

He nodded to me. "Well, I was going to say that there was something odd about the way you dress. But…I'm wearing tights so…I really can't judge." Then he arched an eyebrow. "You know, I spent some time in the holy land and…it's really hot down there. Aren't you cooking to death wearing all that clothing?"

I shrugged. "I'm not the tailor; don't ask me why they make our robes this way. But yes, it gets very hot underneath this hood." I stuck out my hand for him to help pull me up. When he didn't, I shrugged and pushed myself up. This clothing was light enough that I didn't feel all that bad when I wasn't sprinting for my life. It's not very good at blending in either. Maybe I should get some new robes? "So, are we going to take that walk of the town?"

"Would you rather change out of your robes first?" He asked in return. "We have extra tunics if you prefer to dress like one of my men."

I shook my head to that. Hell no I was not going to dress up in green tights. "No thank you. I'll stay in my own robes for now. Besides, you're my new apprentice. You should be wearing initiate robes." Ha! Think on that.

He cocked an eyebrow. "I'm your… apprentice?" He started chuckling in a confused manner. Was it so hard to imagine? It sounded like my idea was complete absurd. He did join my cause. If he was going to be a valuable ally, he needed to be trained as an Assassin. "I guess I did join your cause. Are you making me into an Assassin then?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"In time. One foot forward and then another." I nodded to him. "But first, I wish to meet this Little Red. I was assigned to make an Assassin den here. The more recruits I have, the easier it will be for me to train others. I can easily teach you all combat basics and then move onto other stuff." I walked past him and out into the camp. I could see that he had robbed the dead knights of their possessions: armor, gold, weapons. Good, they know how to make the most of their dead enemies. Best not let these supplies get back to their source.

I looked down at one of the knights, pointing to his armor. "You know how to put all this on, right?"

He nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"The best training tool is an actual enemy. When the training starts, I'll have you try to 'kill' me while I wear that armor. I'll show you how to exploit all their weak spots. I will have to spend time among the knights to learn their fighting style. Only then can I teach you how to defeat it. We have time. So…that walk?"

…

So, we walked to Nottingham. I hadn't really noticed it last night but that well was actually outside the town. I'm guessing they had another on inside. I can only guess because the entire town was walled off. Just like most towns, it had a giant security wall built around it. How did I miss that last night. Must have been too dark for me. But…I must have gotten over that last night to get inside the town. Whatever. I'm an Assassin. I'm not afraid of any wall. I'll climb this wall so amazingly quick with little to no effort, using mostly my fingers. That'll show this Hood who's the badass around here.

As we approached the wall, I motioned Hood to stop. "That wall surrounds the whole town? I can climb that. Watch…and learn." I said as I pushed forward. I planted my foot on a loose brick sticking out a little and started running up the wall until I found another loose brick to grab onto. I was already almost halfway up the wall. I bet the Hood was impressed by my ability.

"Sir!" Hood called. "You really don't have to…"

"No, I understand. You don't have to do this yet. I don't expect you to put this much effort into getting to your objective. Truly, this is a skill only an Assassin can perform." I called down to him as I started pulling myself up to the next block, nearly leaping straight up.

"But…there's an easier…"

"No, no." I yelled back. "Don't call out to me. I might get distracted and fall down." I didn't hear him comment back so I went back to climbing up the wall. I put my effort on finding foot holes, places to grip with my fingers. I wished I had some of those hand-spikes that helped people climb up stuff. But, if I got those, what would I do with my fingers? I sighed a relief as I found my hand gripping the top of the wall. When I pulled myself up, I could see the Hood already standing in front of me, arms crossed, amused grin on his face.

"It's about time. You missed tea hour; I hope you're happy." He said.

"How?" I asked. He got up here so quickly. Dammit. He beat me.

He gestured to my right with a point of his finger. "As I was trying to say…there's a ladder right there." I looked and I could see it only twenty feet or so away from where I was still dangling.

"Ah…" I said. Well, damn. "That was…a…test. And you passed. Good job. An Assassin must always be aware of his surroundings." I said as I pulled myself up. I dusted off my already dirty white robes. Damn robes. These never stay clean for long.

After we jumped over the wall, we stayed mostly on the rooftops as we started around the town. Our first stop was the main gate, where the knights monitored the people coming in and out of Nottingham. As I looked down at the gate, I could see the strict policies already taking place as carts of food and other supplies were heavily taxed and basically stolen from their owners.

"As you can see, this is the supply taxation that King John has allowed. These people come here to do business but end up leaving with little more gained than when they showed up. Royalties demand that some of their stock go to the castle, and a tax is supplemented on any goods that are actually sold: both on the buyer and the seller. The seller leaves with little to no stock and with little to no coin. The buyer can only take as much as is needed, the other goes to the throne to be given to the knights. It's sick." Hood told me as I gazed down at the gate.

"Who is in charge of these knights? Is it the king?" I asked.

"Not directly. The King tells the Sheriff of Nottingham what he wants done and he sees to it. The man is no saint and is probably even worse than the King. You might want to add him to your list, Assassin. He is poisoning this city."

"So, my list includes: The Sherriff of Nottingham, the man known as Wolfe, and King John. Who else must taste my blade for the next few weeks to come?" I asked as I felt for my throwing knives.

"The Bishop is no holy man. He is actively protesting the lives of the coven here in town and does nothing to assist in protecting them from Wolfe. He is also in league with Sherriff. Besides that there is the Market Guild. They are supposed to be for the people, to keep the market stalls fairly priced, while also keeping the conditions of the working folk clean and healthy. They have taken bribes from the Sherriff as well, raising tax prices on all goods. This Guild is the main source of the strife in the town. No one can afford to eat or cloth themselves, let alone continue living. Nor can they leave town without facing repercussions of the Crown." Hood glanced over at me, almost smiling. "I am glad you have come, Assassin. If you promise to fix our town, I will pledge myself to your cause, 100%."

I nodded. I could see the pain on the people's faces as they walked through the town. This is what the Master always warned me about. The Templars rule with an iron fist, taking all the rights away from the people. Eventually, the people become silent lifeless forms that take orders and just try to live one day at a time. Their faces were defeated. This was worse than I thought. I couldn't leave until I did something to fix this. "I've seen enough. Let's go meet Red."

…

So, I thought we'd seen the worst of the town, but I had no idea this town had its own little dark alley. The part of town where no one adventured within expecting to be mugged. This place was so messed up even the knights wouldn't go in because they knew better. This was my part of town. This was where I could operate best.

Little Red's house was in the middle of this hell-hole. When we got there, Hood rapped on her door and then quickly backed away. I stepped back as well, not sure what was going to happen. I activated my Sight as I glanced around the other houses. People glanced at us with judging eyes. I did not feel safe here and I did not want to start ripping throats apart.

"Who's there?" I heard a soft angelic voice call from the other side of the door.

"Red, it's me, Robin." Hood called.

There was a sliding noise and the door flew open. Red was much shorter than I expected. She came only up to my chest. She looked around for Hood and then flew into his arms, hugging him. She looked worried. "Was that you that saved me last night?" She almost cried. "I thought…I thought Wolfe was going to kill me."

Hood rubbed the back of her head, making light shushing noises. "It's ok. I was there. You're safe now." When she calmed down, he pulled her away and directed her gaze at me. "Little Red, this is my friend, Marik Ishbar."

"My name is Malik Ishtar." I corrected him. I stuck out my hand to shake Little Red's hand. "Welcome, Little Red. I believe you and I should have a little talk."

She looked me up and down. "What the heck are you wearing?" She asked, pulling herself closer to Hood, completely ignoring my hand sticking out for a handshake. What is with these people and not shaking my hand?

I crossed my arms. "I'm an Assassin. I was the one that saved your life last night."

She nodded. "Yeah…I remember seeing a flash of white fall from the ceiling. So…you're the one covered in chicken crap then?"

All I did to save her life…and _that_ was what she remembered about me? Figures. And she credited Hood for saving her life. "I washed my robes after we were done with Wolfe. Speaking of which, that is why I've come here today. You are clearly a target for the man. And he is using your friends as payment for weapons and armor for the Templar soldiers. I want to do everything thing I can to hinder his supply runs. So…I need to protect you and your 'coven'. May I meet them today?"

She looked confused for a second before glaring at me. "Ok, you need to explain yourself better. Shall I prepare some tea while you tell me your story?"

I nodded. "Sure, why not."

* * *

**Cearbhail: **_And next chapter, going to have some fun._


	4. Ch 4: The Coven Mother

**Cearbhail: **_I really like this chapter. I had so much fun with the names. You'll see, and once you read the first one, you'll just shake your head in the 'what was Cearbhail thinking?' and then it will be 'how come I didn't see this coming?" Yeah...I'm good._

* * *

[Malik Ishtar]

_Dear journal,_

_I have made contact with the Wiccan known as 'Little Red'. She is not the leader of her coven, but she is sending word out to them through the use of her 'familiar', a small robin. The rest of them are going to meet up here and I will begin discussing what it is that I am offering and what I expect in return. From what Locksley and Little Red have told me so far, I have a lot to offer them. At least I know what I can expect if everything goes well._

_Other than that, I've come to learn about what it is that she does. It's not as scary as some of my associates would imagine and definitely not worth causing genocide over. The first rule of the Assassins is that 'nothing is true, everything is permitted'. I can see how it comes to play in our roles as defenders now. Even still, I am learning more about being an Assassin. I am also hoping to use Little Red's robin to send a message to my Master. It would be nice to give him a status update on my mission and just how well I've done in the three days I've been here._

_Malik Ishtar.._

_…._

I closed my journal, looking around the small room. Bottles of herbs, roots, insects, and just about anything odd looking lined the shelves. In the corner of the room, near the fireplace, was some sort of blood-drawn circle with a star in the middle. No idea what the hell it was but it looked interesting. Five crystals lied near the circle, lining up with each point of the star.

Locksley sat quietly beside me, also taking an interest in the various bottles of stuff. He looked like he was trying to keep his eyes off of Little Red, who was busy preparing our tea. I'm almost worried about drinking it. I have no idea if it's poisoned. I've come to expect worse.

Little Red was quietly humming to herself as she did prepare out tea, though. It was a hauntingly beautiful and sad song that made me think of my mother who passed away when I was only a child. That song continued to hum in my brain, forcing me to black out, reliving my past.

…

It was a sunny day, heavy breeze, lots of sand. I can't remember where I was, but I was with the Master, in some garden, beginning my training. I was in my initiate robes, learning about how to stab with a knife. I was six.

Something happened and I can't remember what, but then I found myself standing outside my house, my father holding onto my shoulders. He was crying. My father never cried. He was an Assassin. The sun was setting, my first day of training was completed. I was accepted as an Assassin. So, why would my father be crying?

Then the only words I remember hearing, "Mommy fell off the cliff."

I can't remember how I reacted to hearing that, and the memory began to fade away from all sound and real memory. I could hear the light cooing of Little Red's voice, still humming while preparing our tea.

My memory flashed back to only a few days earlier before Mother died. She was trying to get me to relax before I was introduced to the Master only a couple days away. I was excited to become an Assassin and I couldn't fall asleep. So, my Mother wrapped me up in her arms and started rocking me gently, while humming the same hauntingly beautiful song that I now heard from Little Red.

…

I snapped out of my memory rather quickly and looked up to see Little Red only a few feet away from me, holding out a small tea cup. She wasn't smiling, not really, but she did look at me gently. I nodded to her and took the cup from her, still thinking about my memory with my Mother humming the same song. Was it coincidence? Was this fate? Was it a common song that spanned our distant countries? Maybe she was Syrian? A quick at her face told me that she was not Syrian, she was English.

Little Red found me gazing at her and she quickly turned defensive. "What are you looking at?" She said as she readjusted in her seat.

"That song. Where did you learn that?" My voice carried lightly through the air.

Little Red shrugged. "Don't know. Just made it up a few years ago."

I nodded. That made sense. So, it was coincidence then. I continued to sit here and think about my past while someone started pounding on the door.

Little Red started to stand up, but Locksley was ahead of her. "No, please stay seated. I'll answer the door."

Little Red nodded. "Ok. Thanks, Robin."

Her little bird started tweeting in confusion. It flapped its wings in what I took to be offense and turned its back on Little Red.

Little Red covered her mouth. "Oh…I'm sorry, Victoria. My friend's name is Robin, just like how you're named after a human. You'll just have to get used to it."

Locksley opened the door and a woman dressed in a blue puffy dress that looked like it belonged in a fancy party marched into the room. She was followed by a sheep that was following her. The woman was leaning on a staff that was taller than she was. She looked old and very wise. I bet she was the coven leader.

Little Red confirmed it by saying, "Welcome, Coven Mother Bo-Peep." She looked down at the sheep and said, "I see Sir William is still alive and well."

The old woman snacked her lips before nodding. "Familiars live with us and die with us, Little Red. I'm sure you remember well."

In behind the old woman, another younger girl, about Red's age, walked through the door. She was dressed in a similar dress that old Bo-Peep wore and carried a long staff as well. "Grandmother, is this the place?"

Old woman Bo-Peep nodded. "Why yes, Mary. This is Little Red's house." She turned to face us. "This is my granddaughter, Mary. She's my apprentice so this will be her first Coven meeting. She has a little lamb, whose fleece is white as snow. So, we named her Snowflake."

The two of them walked into the house, finding chairs to sit down in. Bo-Peep took her time sitting down, her really old sheep lying down next to her. Mary had an easier time finding a corner of the room to sit down in. Snowflake, her lamb, curled up in front of her, giving Mary something to pet. They sat there quietly, the old woman glaring up at me with eyes that seemed to search through my soul.

I felt a flash of something and for some reason, I could see this younger woman standing in a field of grass. She had on this extremely flowing white dress, her eyes still digging into me. "I can see your past…and your future." The image flashed away and I was left with the old woman glaring at me, rocking back and forth in her seat. I think I just crapped my robes.

I looked over at Little Red and said, "Are they all going to be women?"

Little Red looked offended. "What? Do you think we're sexist?" She pointed to the doorway and said, "I would like to introduce, the weirdest _guy_ you'll ever meet. John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt."

I looked to the doorway and there stood a well-dressed older man with a mustache as perfect as his fancy jacket. The man pulled off his hat and tipped his head at me. "Good evening, everyone." He looked over at Bo-Peep and bowed his head to her as well. "Coven Mother." He bowed to everyone else. "Little Red, Little Mary. Snowflake." He stepped into the room, leaning heavily on a cane. "Have I missed the meeting?"

Bo-Peep shook her head. "We are still waiting for five more."

Jingleheimer-Schmidt looked around the room. "Jack and Jill aren't here yet."

Locksley nodded. "They told me there were going to fetch a pail of water."

The old man nodded. "I sure hope he didn't bring his crown this time. That Prince needs to stop flaunting that thing." He looked around. "Miss Muffet?"

"She forgot her tuffet." Little Red replied. "So, she had to turn around. She'll be late."

Old man nodded. "She's always forgetting something. Oh well. What about Little Tommy Tucker?"

Little Red shrugged. "No one knows what he's doing. That little boy is always getting lost. He'll be here soon, though. I bet he's hungry and I promised him some supper."

Bo-Peep started snoring and I could see drool coming out of her mouth. Everyone stopped to look at her before the Old man nodded. "Ok, so that leaves Lucy Lockett and her familiar, her kitten Fisher."

Little Red shrugged. "She lost her pocket purse."

"Stupid kids." Jingleheimer-Schmidt said as he leaned heavily on his cane. "I swear, when I was a child, I was never late to a coven meeting. Why, we would walk 15 miles up a mountain top, even when it was in the middle of a blizzard, just so that we could meet the newest member." He glanced away. "It didn't help that the blizzard only existed because our Masters wanted to test us."

In this time frame, I was taking the time to look at everyone already piling into the room. There was the old woman who was drooling on herself, her sheep familiar sleeping beside her. In the very corner of the room, we had some teenager with a lamb. She looked like she couldn't relax and she couldn't take her eyes off of me. Scared of me, no doubt. Then there was the old man. He leaned on his cane, looking around the room, nodding at the set-up.

So, these were the coven members that I had been told about. They didn't appear like I had expected them to appear. "What kind of witches are you?" I found myself blurting out.

The old woman snapped out of her sleep and shook her head in confusion. "What? Where am I?"

"Grandma, we're at Little Red's. Remember?" Mary said lightly.

"I…I remember that, Polly." She replied.

"My name is Mary…not Polly."

"Ok, Sukey."

"No…they're our neighbors. Remember, they bring us tea every day." Mary replied. "Polly puts the kettle on, and Sukey takes the kettle off. And then they go away."

Bo-Peep nodded. "Right, I remember now. Ok, Mary." She looked up at Jingleheimer-Schmidt and nodded. "Where's Humpty Dumpty?"

The old man shook his head and pulled off his hat. I could see the pain in his eyes. "He…he…well, King John and his lackey, Wolfe, sent knights to hunt him down. He…he didn't make it. By the time we found him, we couldn't put him back together again."

The old woman nodded. "He was a mighty wizard, he was. I guess I should have seen this coming. King John wants us dead. He fears what we can and might do to him if he continues to push this town down."

That's when I stood up. "And that's why I called you all here today. My name is Malik Ishtar and I'm an Assassin from Syria. From what I understand, you all are in danger of being mistreated by the Templars, by the King of England. My mission is to harass the King in any way I can, and to disrupt the Templars' activities without fatally killing anyone. I must keep my presence more or less…hidden. So, I am here to talk to you about becoming Assassins. With my training, you will be better protected and you can in return help me with my mission." _That was the plan until I found out that half of you are old and incapable of being anything other than a hindrance._ I thought to myself.

The old woman and the old man both frowned at me. Bo-Peep went first, pointing her old dagger-ish finger at me. "Hey! I might be old, but I am not a hindrance!" She rose from her chair almost like a shade and just as quickly floated up to me with the grace of something from my nightmares. "You're Lucky Mother Goose is not here, or she would show you the worst of what we have to offer. She'll turn your house into a shoe if you piss her off." She pointed at herself and then over to Jingleheimer-Schmidt. "We are both the Coven Mother and Father. It is true, we may be small in size, but what we lack in numbers, we have in strength, courage, and adaptability."

Jingleheimer walked up and started pulling Bo-Peep back. "Calm down, Bo-Peep, or you'll blow your hillock. Remember that day that someone killed all your sheep? You almost lost it that day, don't repeat the farm incident."

Bo-Peep glanced at Jingleheimer. She stopped for a second before stepping away. "It was my fault, John. They killed my sheep, not because I fell asleep, but because of what I am." She turned away, almost crying. "So, I showed them what I was. I burnt that farm to the ground, and I never looked back." She looked at the sheep sleeping next to her chair. "Sir William was the only one left. That was the day I made him my familiar. It was the only way to save his life."

That reminded me…I thought they all had familiars. So, where was Jingleheimer's? He must have read my mind because he was glancing up at me, almost smiling with his eyes. "Yes, I do have a familiar. I left him at home. He's a loyal golden retriever. His name is John Jacob Jingleheimer-snout. So, in a way…his name is my name too."

I only nodded. "Ok, so back to our discussion." I pointed over to Locksley and said, "I have picked up an army of mercenaries and thieves, all led by this man. I believe you know him." They all nodded.

So, I nodded in return. "Well, he has promised me that I can use his army to assault the Templars and give them a really hard time. Meanwhile, I have to train his men to become Assassins, so that they may protect this land when I leave. My plan is to have Locksley take the vow of the Assassin before I leave, making him an Assassin like myself. I would like to do the same with one of your coven. That will give me a solid group of Assassins for me to leave behind, or send to other cities to recruit more Assassins or possibly attack the Templars to divide their attention. This is just my plan. I cannot pull it off without your support."

Little Red looked shocked to hear me announce my plan. Locksley was only nodding to himself, looking down at his bow like he was ready to start training. "So, this is really happening then. I will become an Assassin like you?"

I nodded to him. "Not only like myself; you will become part of my family. You will eventually meet the Master of all Assassins, take the vow, and place a hot piece of burning metal ring on your ring finger, forever singeing it to your finger, forever making you my brother."

Little Red stepped up to me, nodding. "I would like to consider joining your group as my Coven's representation."

I looked over at Bo-Peep. She was sitting in her chair, glancing up at Little Red and over to me. She nodded when both Little Red and I looked over to her. "I accept this." She stood up, her back cracking with the effort. "I will spread the word to the other Coven members. I am guessing that you brought us here not only to ask us for recruits but to also make us your allies, right?"

I nodded. "That is correct. You are an enemy of my enemy. That makes you my friend."

She nodded in return. "I see a lot of good in your eyes, Assassin. I know you will do us right. Before I allow you to become my ally, I do have a request of my own."

"Name it." I said to her. I'll do whatever it takes.

"Wolfe has taken a few of our women and is preparing to take them to France. I want you to board whatever ship he has them on and free them before they leave harbor."

I nodded. "Gladly." I looked over at Locksley and Little Red. "Come, you two. Time I show you what your new training will look like."

* * *

**Cearbhail: **_Yeah, it may be a short chapter, and it's been forever since I posted a chapter, but there will be more coming and they'll be faster now. I was very busy with stuff and now I'm not so...there._


	5. Ch 5: The perfect plan

**Cearbhail: **_A short chapter, a lot shorter than I would have liked. But it does its job. I will start posting quicker now. This story should start picking itself up soon enough. Once I understand the character interations and of course...once the real story begins.._

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[Malik Ishtar]

_Dear journal,_

_I have met the Coven Mother. She is an old woman by the name of Bo-Peep. It's an odd name, but hey…all English names seem odd to me. I am from Syria, after all. I'm used to names that just flow off the mouth like… Ali-Kabab'na'shala. Something along those lines. But everyone I've met today has some of the weirdest names ever: Bo-Peep, John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt, Little Red, Robin Hood, Tommy Tucker. Just weird._

_Anyway, I have met with the leader of the Coven, also known as the Coven Mother. There was a father too, but he didn't seem to hold much if any power. I gave my message to her and she was more than glad to accept my proposal of me keeping her witches safe. Before our agreement could be finalized, she wants a demonstration of my power, so I have to go and free her captured coven members. I have brought my two new initiates with me. They are going to shadow me and observe how I do my thing. I'll make this look so good that they'll be begging to become Assassins in no time._

_Malik Ishtar…_

_…_

I looked back at Little Red and the Hood. Hood looked like he was at home, crouching on top of the roof like a pro. Little Red was trying all she could to keep herself from crying or looking down. She looked around at the sky, humming that same haunting tune that kept making me think of my past. I had to fight that memory for now. I had a job to do.

We sat on top of the church, looking down at the docks created outside of the town. I could see a giant ship on the horizon. With the power of my Sight, I was able to see Wolfe screaming as his lackeys as they carried giant crates of goods onto the ship. I bet he was planning on leaving tonight and transporting the women to France by ship. It must be easier than trying to take them by carriage.

"So, Nottingham has its own harbor?" I looked back at Hood.

He nodded, stalking up to me with the practiced ease of an Assassin. "It's smaller than the one in York, but yes. That is the River Trent. Wolfe will probably take the river north until he makes it out to sea. After that, it's just sailing to France." He sighed as he looked down at the ground. "So, what are we going to do? What's the plan?"

I looked back at Little Red, who looked as lost as could be. "I cannot cause too big of a scene, but I can't be too slow. So, here's the plan…"

…

"You better know what you're doing." Little Red hissed to me as one of Locksley's men started to pull her away. She was tied up in a rope and was being taken to the harbor to be given to Wolfe. I gave her a knife and taught her some basic combat moves. I was confident that she could handle any man with a sword… if that man was blind, six years old, and had no hands. Ok, I wasn't sure if she could even handle that. The guy might get lucky and kick her off the ship. Maybe if that guy had no legs and no arms…or head for that matter. He might bite her if he had a head. Screw it; I don't think she could fight a sack of puppies. I guess it was a chance I was going to have to take. Locksley's man was with her and I was sure he could take a six year old armless boy. I'm almost positive about it.

I nodded to Little Red. "This plan is simple. We sneak you aboard with one of Lockley's men under the disguise of you being a witch sex slave; you meet up with the other female prisoners, tell them about the soon to come evacuation, and then wait. The knife I gave to you is your means of defending yourself once you break everyone out of their cages. Do you have everything you need to do your magic?"

Little Red blew a strand of her red hair away from her eyes before glaring at me. "All I need are my fingers, Assassin. And those are currently bound behind my back…"

I nodded to her and then smiled. "Good, then when you get aboard the ship, I will not be troubled to know that you can take care of yourself. Anyway, while you are getting your witch friends ready to be rescued, Locksley will engage the rest of his men in a diversion, something that will pull guards away from the port. I believe he said something about setting a mine on fire. When the guards are gone, Locksley and I will sneak aboard the ship, lay waste to the rest of the workers, and then assist you in getting your witches back home where they belong. Any questions?"

Locksley looked over at me. "Just one…where's the stealth in all this? We're sinking a ship and burning an iron mine. Do you know just how the King will react when he finds out?"

I smiled. "Stealth is nice when you're trying not to send a message or create chaos. But… it is my job to create chaos. And this will bring it quickly. That iron is used to make swords and armor, as you have told me. Both are things that the knights need to continue their holy war with my brothers. If I get rid of their source of iron…as well as the sex slave operations…I will cripple all their funding and weapons. Today is a great day." I looked over at Locksley and smiled. "Is your man ready?"

Locksley nodded. "Little John will begin his operation shortly. Once he controls the mine, he will set it ablaze once we give our signal."

"Little John? Is he an apprentice witch like Little Red, or Little Mary?" I asked. It seemed to be a common title for the witch apprentices.

Locksley shook his head. "God, no; he's Catholic. He's my apprentice, therefore…Little."

I nodded back to him. "Ok then. We shall wait atop this roof until the diversion is underway."

"Are you sure you don't want me at the diversion to make sure it goes off fine?" Locksley asked. "Not that I doubt my man, but I feel that someone experienced should be there."

"While you are a great fighter; I need to start training you to be better. Giving you an operation would be the best option but if you stay near me, there is much more you can learn about my line of work." I replied. I thought about having him run his little mine burning plan but I might need back-up in case something goes wrong once I'm inside the ship. I can't watch several witches. But two men can do so much more than just one man when it comes to on-ship fighting.

"You'll see, Assassin. Little John is a great leader. This is a simple operation. He won't mess it up." Locksley said. My back started trembling in foreboding. Why?

…

[Little Red]

The ropes were loose enough that I could breathe, but tight enough that it rubbed against my wrists every time I shifted my weight. Billy, the man pulling me along, was not in any rush, but he was still moving too fast for someone tied up from the chest down to my wrists. Good thing my part of the plan was easy. I just had to be captured.

"You there, hold!" Someone screamed from behind us. Billy and I turned around. A single man clad in a full black tunic with a white ballroom mask strode up to us, drawing a thin sword that looked like it would break any second. He raised it up to us, bringing his other hand up. "Where are you going with that fair maiden? Why is she tied up like a slave?"

Billy arched an eyebrow at him. "She is a prisoner being transported to Wolfe."

"Ah…Wolfe, the scoundrel that sells beautiful maidens to the French to be used as toys for men. I will not stand for it. Prepare to die." The masked man said.

"Wait!" I yelled. "Don't hurt him! He's only trying to help me free my friends!"

The man tilted his head to me and lowered his sword for a second. "Your eyes betray your fear. You fear that if I fail in killing this man that will you be punished. Fear not…I will not fail in killing your captor." He bowed to me, saying, "You are in the presence of Zorro, milady. I shall be your savior this afternoon."

Zorro? What type of name was that?

The man didn't wait. He charged forward, rushing right up to Billy. Billy dropped my rope and started to unsheathe his sword. "I'm sorry, Little Red, but…I won't risk my life for this!" He turned around and rushed off. "I'll go warn Robin about this!"

Zorro stopped near me and sheathed his tiny sword. "You better run! If I ever see you transporting fair maidens ever again…I shall have your rear end!" He turned to face me, bowing to me again. "You are safe…milady."

"You screwed up our plan!" I whispered to him. I had no idea who might have been nearby. "He was supposed to take me onto Wolfe's ship and give me to Wolfe as a prisoner. We were supposed to release my friends from their cages and we were supposed to escape. Now…you're going to take me onto that ship and see to it that I escape with all my friends. Understood?"

He looked at me for a few seconds before nodding. "I understand, milady. I will be more than happy to assist." He reached down for my rope and started to walk towards the ship. "My apologies for interrupting your plan and rushing off your friend. By the looks of it, though, I did you a favor. He couldn't hold his own in a real fight. I have held my own for years now. You are much better off with me around."

_I feel safer already._ I thought sourly as I kept up with him. This man almost ruined our plan. And I bet he was only just beginning to screw it up. I trusted Billy to keep me safe. I did not know the first thing about this Zorro or if he could even fight with that thin piece of sword. He dressed like a pansy, he talked like a pansy, and his sword was nothing more than a metal toothpick. Yeah…this was already messed up. For all I knew, he was going to rape me. Figures. At least Billy will get Robin. He will save me.

The walk was nicer than I would have guessed. Zorro, one of the strangest men I'll ever meet, chatted with me the whole way down to the docks. When he found out about my spiritual path, he laughed about it, not speaking another word, even after I asked what was so funny. He told me about how he became the masked vigilante that he became and it started to remind me of Robin. By the time we reached the docks, I think I knew enough about the man that I could at least trust him to not kill me.

The docks were as active as always. People saw me and averted their eyes. Seeing women like this was common. If I was tied up and being transported by rope, I was obviously a slave or a prisoner. Either way, it was no one's concern what happened to me. That was just how our little happy home was. No one cared for my kind. They all knew what I was because I was tied up.

The ship that Wolfe used was a regular trading ship. A trading ship that was outfitted with cannons. Wolfe stood up on his deck, screaming orders to his men as they prepared to leave. "We launch in three hours! I want everything stocked and ready to ship!" Wolfe screamed to everyone on board.

I looked down at the loading ramp where one of his guards waited. He looked at me and then at Zorro. "Right, then. You have a witch for sale, I assume. Who are you?"

"My name is Diego, I am a wandering mercenary. I caught this little maiden speaking to daemons and summoning unnatural lights. I hear that a man named 'Wolfe' is offering payment to those who bring these…horrid beasts to him." Zorro said as he pushed me forward into the man's arms.

The man grabbed me by the chin and started inspecting me. "Ah yes…look at her. She's quite the looker. I think the Captain knows this one. Oy, Captain!" He screamed up at Wolfe. "I think you know this one!"

Wolfe peered over the edge of his ship and gazed down at us. "Can't you see that I'm…" He paused as he looked at me. "Oh…heh…" He smiled as he started walking down the ramp. "Well, well, well. Little Red; I knew you'd find your way to me." He turned to face Zorro. "And you're the one that captured her, am I right?"

He nodded. "Indeed I am, sir. She was doing unnatural things."

Wolfe nodded. "Aye, she's a witch. How much do you want for her?"

"I only ask for a ride to your next destination. I hear it's France." Zorro replied.

Wolfe gave him a suspicious gaze before nodding. "Aye, it is. However, I do not transport strangers. Unless you're willing to come aboard in bonds."

Zorro nodded. "I'd rather go in bonds than not go at all, sir."

Wolfe motioned for the guard to tie up Zorro's hands. Zorro complied as he was tied up like I was. As soon as we were being transported onboard, I shot him a look and said, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Indeed, I do not. This shall be quite the adventure. But…rest assured, fair maiden…I will get us out of this."

Oh joy…I feel so much safer now.

…

[Little John]

"Little Red should be aboard the ship by now." Charles, my finest warrior, said to me.

I looked back at him and nodded. "Aye, I bet she is."

"Quiet, you two." A knight said as he brandished his weapon and brought it to my throat. "You will stay quiet until the Sheriff tells us what to do with you."

I shook my head. This was supposed to be a simple thing. We sneak in, ransack the guards, light the mine on fire using the hay we stole from the castle earlier this week, and then get out. But no, our newest initiate: George, had to eat beans last night. He gave our position away when he released a gas so potent that every knight in the mine could smell us. We were rounded up while we were rolling around the ground, choking on our own breath.

I tried to pull against my ropes. They were still tight. I sure hope Locksley could see us. We should have lit the mine on fire by now. And if something happened to Little Red, like some idiot running off our inside man who works on the ship and getting himself captured as well…our little plan was as good as ruined. No outside help was coming to help with the fire, no guards were leaving the ship, and now Locksley had to come free his own army from another army. Oh great…I don't think this will end up as we planned.

* * *

**Cearbhail: **_If you think this little bumble will be enough to fill my quota for random mishaps... hahaha... no. not even close. Once I think up how I really want to screw this up...I will post the new chapter. I'm open for suggestions._


	6. Ch 6: Ship sinking

**Cearbhail: **_The longest chapter i've ever written. I wanted it all done on one chapter, but the Little Red part is so long that it could have easily been its own chapter. But...it's great, it's perfect, and it's only just beginning. Just imagine where this will go. And yes, it's been a while, but I promise to speed up. Now that I've introduced a new clumsy character...everything will be a lot more random and funny. I promise. Well, you'll see anyway._

_Hope you enjoy._

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[Malik Ishtar]

The sunset loomed ahead of us; the sky a bright orange as the sun slowly disappeared from view. I could see Wolfe was still bringing his men onboard his ship, stocking it with crates of supplies. I watched as Little Red was walked there by an unknown man. That was troubling, but not enough for me to break the plan. She was still onboard; she could still do her part of the mission just fine. What I did not like was that the docks were still heavily guarded by knights.

I looked away from the ship to the iron mines that loomed in the opposite direction. I was beginning to doubt that the Locksley's men had done their job. I should have seen a fire by now. Heck, I should be at the docks by now. Something needed to be done. I couldn't just sit here any longer.

I looked back to the docks. Wolfe was finishing up yelling at his crewmen now that they had everything they needed onboard their ship. He was beginning to scream to his crewmates as they readied the ship for launch. If I waited any longer, I would miss the ship taking off and Little Red would be lost forever. I could not have that. If she were to disappear, the Coven would not support me in my mission. No, I had to do this now.

I turned to Locksley and said, "Ok, Hood. I can't wait any longer, neither can you. I fear that your men are captured or dead. I feel that you should head to the mine and fix whatever has happened to your men. I, on the other hand, will head to the ship and free the witches before they set sail. You got all that?"

Locksley nodded to me, pulling up his giant green hood. He slipped his bow over his shoulder and stood up. "Yeah, I got it. I'll go to the mine and see about lighting it up. You go and get those women free." He did not wait as he turned around and began racing down the roof. He paused near the end and scanned for something. "What's the fastest way down?"

I walked over to the edge and looked down as well. I found a giant pile of hay. I pointed to the wagon full of tunics and  
said, "There, that wagon is filled with soft clothes. Go land on that."

"Won't that break the wagon, though?" He asked as he watched it roll by.

"If you don't jump now…you'll have to jump into hay, which will be filled with chicken crap, I found out." I told him. He still looked hesitant, so I shoved him forward by slapping him on the back. "Good luck!" I screamed as he stuttered forward, pushing himself off at the last second so that he wouldn't fall to his death.

"I'll get you for this!" He screamed as he fell like a brick.

"Only if you land in the cart of clothes!" I screamed back to him. I tracked him as he fell straight down, missing the cart of clothes. He landed on the wagon puller instead. I turned my head away, not looking as he hit the guy. I turned my head back to see if Locksley survived. He was groggily standing up, brushing his tunic off. The wagon puller was probably dead, however.

Locksley looked up at me and shook a fist at me. "I'll get you for that!" I barely heard his threat over the call of the wind. I smiled and took a step forward, planting my foot against the edge. I spread my arms out as I let the wind take me. I judged my fall and closed my eyes as I soared through the air like a falling hawk. I felt the world come to a sudden stop as I landed on something soft and smelled eerily clean. I opened my eyes, seeing that I had landed on the clean tunics, like I originally planned. Locksley stood above me, his arms crossed, and one of his eyes bruised. He had blood dripped from his mouth.

I pushed myself out of the clothes, taking Locksley's hand when he offered it. When he pulled me up, I nodded my thanks to him. "Learn to have faith that when you jump, you will land and survive. If you are to become an Assassin, you will be making larger leaps than the one you took off that roof. Sometimes you don't even have time to find a target, only pray that you will find one underneath you. Lucky for you, you landed on the wagon puller. If you had jumped when I told you to…you would have landed on the clothes."

He stared at me unblinkingly before he turned himself around to run off. "Well, I better get running. I'm sure that I need to get moving."

"Wait." I called to him. When he stopped to look at me, I spun myself around and looked at the wagon. It was being pulled by two horses. "The wagon puller probably won't need these horses anymore. I say we take them to make this go by a lot faster." He didn't seem so certain until I untied the horses and passed one off to him. The horse didn't reject him as he climbed on top of it.

Locksley patted the horse on the head before turning it around. "Where are we meeting up?"

I pulled myself up onto the horse and turned to face him. "That depends on how fast you get done. If you have time to help me with freeing the prisoners, then come help. If that's already done and over, meet us at Little Red's." I didn't wait for Locksley to reply. I leaned forward on the horse and pushed my boots into his legs. The horse replied by whinnying and running forward. I tried to push myself a little up so that I wasn't bouncing on the horses butt. I was getting sore already and I haven't even left yet. I didn't have a saddle and riding saddleless was painful.

I watched as the docks continued to grow closer. My horse was sprinting as fast as it could go, and I was bouncing as hard as I possibly could. But, I would ignore that pain for now…and do nothing but feel it for the next few weeks. I'd be sure to pay Wolfe back for every second I felt pain. I didn't care how much pain I was in. All that mattered was that I freed the prisoners before that ship left harbor.

"Pull over!" I heard a voice call from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see a knight dressed in blue armor racing towards me with a horse with two flags flapping on the saddles: one red, one blue. I rolled my eyes as I started pulling my horse to the side of the dirt road, eventually coming to a stop. The knight stopped just behind me and sat there. I continued to look at him, but he just sat there, writing something down on a parchment of paper.

"Excuse me, but…I'm in a hurry to save someone." I said to the knight. "Can we hurry this along?" He looked up at me with indifferent eyes before looking down at his parchment. I groaned as I started to shift on my horse's back. My groin was in so much pain I wanted nothing more than to stand up and shift my weight.

The knight glanced at me, his eyes sharp. "Don't move, sir! If you get off that horse, I will take it as an offense. I will shoot to kill." He yelled to me as he started getting off his high horse. A heavy boot thudded against the floor and the knight started strolling up to me, a thin piece of wood in his mouth that he was quietly chewing on. His helmet had a clear visor made from glass, it looked like. When he pulled it off, I saw long golden hair fly through the wind like an untamed fire on his head. I shook my head and reminded myself that I was currently in burning pain. I was trying everything I could do to keep myself from feeling that pain. Sitting still on a horse was not helping. I needed to get up or get moving again.

When he finally caught up to me, I nodded to him. "Is there a problem, knight?"

He glanced at me, chewing his thin wood thing. "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"Was I speeding?" I asked.

He nodded and said, "That was one reason. Sir, do you know that you don't have a saddle attached to your horse? Or that you're missing a horseshoe on the left back hoof? Do you even have registration for this horse? Do you have a license to ride?"

I rolled my eyes as I glanced at him. "No, I don't have registration for this horse. I kinda stole him from a dead guy." When he was about to say something, I pulled out a throwing knife and tossed it at him. It caught him in his unprotected throat. As he started to squirm around, trying to pull the knife out of his neck, I started galloping forward. "Don't bother, it's laced with poison. You'll be dead in ten seconds regardless if you pull it out or not."

I didn't wait to watch him die. Though, it would be nice to take his money from him. I didn't have any current currency for this place and my stomach was beginning to grumble. Come to think of it, I'd only been here a couple days now and the only thing I've had to eat was at Locksley's hideout. Well, I did have some tea at Little Red's but…that wasn't a meal. So, despite everything, I turned my horse around and charged back to the falling knight, who was still gagging on his neck.

I jumped off my horse and ran up to him. He glared at me with wide eyes as I started digging around his satchel. I smiled as I pulled out a nice wrapping full with coins. I jingled it to make sure it was currency before I nodded to him. "Thank you for your donation to my cause. I'll be sure the King will be glad to know that your money went to his downfall." I patted him on the shoulder. "Goodbye." As he started to fall over, he reached into his satchel, pulling out a crossbow. Instead of pointing it at me and firing, as I would have done, he pointed it up into the sky and released the bolt. I watched as it soared into the sky. It disappeared but then erupted into a bright red light. It lingered there until it fizzled out. I suddenly felt very…stupid for standing here and watching that.

I turned and ran for my horse. I heard thundering hooves behind me. I jumped on and kicked the hell out of the thing before it whinnied and pushed forward, sprinting as fast as it could go. I looked behind me to see several more knights dressed like the rest with horses dressed like his. They were following me, screaming orders for me to pull over. When I didn't, they started pulling out their crossbows and firing at me. I managed to dodge most of their bolts, but my horse caught one in the butt, which only made him gallop faster. Great, I had just caused a great distraction, but it didn't matter because _I_ was the distraction. How could I sneak aboard the ship if I was being chased? I only shook my head and looked as the ship containing Little Red started to drift away from port. Great…and I missed the ship. Now it was all up to her…and Locksley. Oh…and I had to deal with these guards.

…

[Robin Hood]

I had long ditched the horse for the casual approach more fitting to my style. The mine was surrounded by woods and by hills. Since the mines went into the hills and traveled down into the ground, I could easily approach from above with the rest of my outlaws. Hopping from tree branch to tree branch was easy once you got the hang of it. It wasn't like jumping off of high rooftops onto a moving cart filled with clothes. It was a lot like running on rooftops, jumping from one rooftop to another. You just needed to spot your next tree branch that could support you before you fell to your death. I learned from the best teacher around…squirrels.

I lowered down, taking a seat on the thick branch as I looked down at the mines. Little John and a few of my men were tied up and rounded up at the well. Three knights stood watch over them and all surrounding areas as they waited. I swallowed as I looked around. I could see a few other knights patrolling around. I guess they were on alert now that a few of my men were captured. I could see that the barrels of oil and hay were still spread out, ready to be ignited. But…if I set them off now, I could risk being overrun by knights all around the area before I could release my friends. I couldn't take that chance.

I waved three of my best archers forward. They inched along the tree branches, jumping from one to another while making little to no noise at all. They landed with the grace of squirrels racing. It would not alarm any guards. They didn't believe men could climb trees this well. It would be their undoing.

My men took up positions around the trees surrounding me. I was high enough that I could talk to them without arising suspicion. "Drop sentries quietly." I said to them. They nodded and started loading their arrows. I watched as the sentries paced back and forth like mindless drones. One of my men would shoot an arrow to stir up the wildlife. Once the guard turned and checked for whatever caused the noise, one of my archers would nail him in the neck. As soon as he began to fall, another man on the ground would race over and pull his body into the brush before he could make a sound. We took out all four sentries this way. This was how we survived this long.

The three still guarding my men were not even alarmed to what was going on, so I nodded to my three archers. "Line up shots. Joshua, take the one on the left. Roger, take the one in the middle. Fred, take the one of the right. Fire on my mark. …. Mark!"

All three of my archers released their arrows, hitting their targets within a second of each other. The three knights fell to the ground, dead. Well, hopefully. I jumped from my tree branch and freefell towards the ground. At the last second, I grabbed onto a branch with my gloved hands. It was light enough to bend with me, just enough that I slowed down before resuming my fall to the ground. The rest of my men fell from the treetops with me, landing all around me. They started scattering as they set up strategic points for any ambush that might happen. I, however, needed to light this place up.

I showed myself to Little John as I walked up to him. He nodded a welcome before standing up and pulling his arms. The tight rope restricting him began snapping. It finally broke off and his arms roared out from behind him. I shook my head in wonder. I could train my whole life to build muscle…and I'd never have arm definition like him. He was a beast. Why did he get captured then? This should have been easy for him.

Little John walked up to me, nodding a welcome. "Sorry, Hood. I was caught off guard." He glared over at George before looking back at me. "I was hoping you'd come here to help."

I nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "I had no choice. The Assassin will do fine without my support. I trust he's already onboard the ship and killing all the slavers. But, we'll still light this place up, regardless. It will cause the King some trouble and allow our friend to escape with no knights watching his every move."

…

[Malik]

I pulled my head down as an arrow whizzed above my head. "Shab!" I cried to myself as a giant light started covering me. I looked up at the town to see a giant torch on top of a giant watchtower being directed by a curved bowl being aimed right at me. Oh, great! Now they could track my every move! And what more…the ship was out into the middle of the river now. I was never going to catch up.

My horse cried out in horror and fell forward. When he did not recover, I pushed myself off, running across his back as he tumbled. I pushed off his butt, unsheathed my sword, spun myself around, and brought my sword up just in time to deflect an arrow coming right at me. I tucked myself in as I crashed into the ground, being pulled backwards by the moving ground. I crashed into the horse and pushed off of him, flying over him and landing back on my feet. I slid back for a few meters before coming to a stop. I still had my sword out in front of me. Knights on horses started to surround me, each one holding either a sword or a loaded crossbow. I smiled. Time to put my training to good use.

I smiled as I saw the mine burst up into flames. Good, that meant Locksley was done with his objective. I bet he'd be on his way to come and help me any second.

…

[Robin Hood]

"So, shall we head to the harbor?" Little John asked me.

I looked out to see that he ship had already set sail. "No, we can't be of any more help at this point. I say we just wait at Little Red's house."

"Sir…the ship is out in the river." Little John said.

I nodded. "Aye, that it is." But…why?

"If the ship is out to sea…doesn't that mean that the Assassin never made it aboard? Otherwise, wouldn't it be still at the harbor filled with dead slavers?"

I nodded. That was a good point. "True…but we can't swim any more than we can sink a ship with arrows. But…we should at least go and try, right?" My men started bellowing war chants and raising their weapons in a battle cry. I nodded and looked back at them. "Ok, I guess we're going to go infiltrate a ship already heading out to sea and free our witches."

…

[Little Red]

I sighed as I grabbed my head. The ship rocked back and forth, moving with the waves. It was moving more frantically than it was moving earlier. And my head was not dealing with it nicely either. At least Wolfe wasn't having his way with me. No, he just threw me into the damp cage with my coven sisters. The walls dripped with water and the floor was probably a few inches deep with water. I wondered if this ship was even stable enough for the trip. I didn't want to drown in the middle of the ocean.

I still hadn't seen Zorro yet. I knew he was on the ship somewhere but I didn't know where. Last I saw him, he was offered a bottle of rum. That was right before one of Wolfe's men brought me below deck and tossed me in a cage with my sisters. Even then the water on the floor was above my ankles. I didn't notice it rise any since then. It had been probably an hour or so.

"Get your hands off of me!" I heard someone scream from above.

"Sir, we found this one right outside Nottingham. She's one of them heretics from the sand lands." One of Wolfe's men said. "Just look at her outfit, she's not from around here."

I heard Wolfe laugh. "And her outfit resembles that man's that attacked me in the street. Well then, toss her down with the others; I'm sure she will be a great addition to our client. He's always nagging me to bring someone more exotic."

I heard someone scream as she fell down the stairs. A blur of white crashed into the ankle deep water and I could see a Middle Eastern woman with black hair pulling her head out of the water, spitting it out. She glared up at the man and started screaming curses at him in a language I did not even begin to understand. I looked up at the man, who only shrugged at her. "What? You tripped on your robe! I didn't push you."

The woman pushed herself up and it was then that I could see her outfit. She was wearing the same robes as Marik. That would make her…an Assassin, I bet. That brought a smile to my face, even though she had no weapons on her. If she could do half the things I saw Marik do that one time I was being pinned to the ground, I was sure she could help me get out of here.

The man rushed down and grabbed her shackled hands as she started to race up the stairs again. Once he grabbed her, she spat in his face. He lunged back in surprise and growled out in complaint before turning her around and pushing her towards the cages. She was still struggling against him and three other men had to race down the stairs to come and contain her while the man unlocked the cage door. One man actually grabbed her from behind and pulled her back. She replied by kicking the man unlocking the cage. His head bobbed for a second before he passed out and crashed into the water. He didn't move. He must have been knocked out. Another man walked up and whacked her in the face. She gasped out in pain before turning her head to him. When she growled, he turned around and headed back to the stairs.

Another man hurried as he unlocked the cage door. Once the cage door was open, he nodded to his friend, the one holding her tightly. He began throwing her inside the cage. He almost got away with it until she brought her leg up and caught him under the belt. He whined and fell into the water. The girl snapped her other leg out, kicking the other crewmate into the cage. He screamed in horror as a loose bar appeared in his chest. He glanced down, bringing his hands up to grab the bar like he couldn't believe it was there. His eyes finally rolled back, leaving me standing with a cage door wide open with my Coven sisters standing behind me, and a bloodied panting Assassin standing at the door's entrance, glaring at us like she was going to kill us next.

We heard another series of steps, making the Assassin girl spin around to see who was coming next. It was Zorro. He had his sword ready and a smile on his face. "Ok, I'm finally ready to get you…" He was saying as he ran up to us. He didn't get far. The Assassin launched her leg out, snapping him across the head. While in mid-run, his head snapped to the side, and he fell face-first into the water. He didn't move. He was probably dead.

"What did you do that for?" I asked/screamed to her. "He was going to free us!"

She looked over at me, her eyes narrowed. She was still seething with anger but at least she wasn't raving with it. She looked cold and contemplative. Her black hair hung in front of her face, obscuring her face from me. She looked like a wraith with her white robes and black hair hiding her face. Even though her eyes were hidden from me and her body was so rigid that she looked like a living statue, I could tell she was glaring right at me. I couldn't handle the silence.

"Well…aren't you going to free us? You're an Assassin, right? Aren't you with Marik Ishbar?" I said to her. I saw her head lift instantly at hearing Marik's name.

She started walking towards me, walking right up to the bars. I looked at the door…it was still open. So, why was she standing on the other side of the bars? I didn't like where this was going. She shook her head until her wet hair shifted away from her eyes. Strong hazel eyes were staring at me. They weren't glaring or judging, just…staring. It was odd. And from what I was seeing, she wasn't all that much older than me. In fact, she looked younger than I was. I would guess around 15 or something.

She tore her eyes away as heavy footsteps pounded the staircase. More of Wolfe's men charged into the watery floor, splashing water as they ran to every inch of the open space. There were at least ten of them. They all had broadswords out and ready to attack the Assassin with. She turned to look at me, giving me a small smile before looking back to the attackers.

"If you untie me… I can help you fight them." I whispered to her. She didn't react to me. I don't think she even understood me. I know Marik understood English, but maybe this Assassin didn't. I watched as her eyes tracked over the pirates. She didn't move from her spot. Not until the first of the pirates charged at her. As soon as he slashed at her, she side-stepped his slash. She spun herself around, the tail of her robes throwing water up into the air. The water crashed into the pirate's face. He cried out as the salt in the water blinded him.

In that second of confusion, she jumped back, throwing herself at his raised sword. I heard the sword cut through something and the girl's arms flashed out from behind her back. She snapped her hand back, ramming the space between her thumb and her fingers into the guy's throat. He gurgled in pain as he fell into the water. The girl disregarded him as she stepped up to face the other nine pirates. They didn't wait, and they didn't charge in one at a time like a bunch of idiots. They all came at her at the same time.

She kicked her leg out, kicking more salt water at them. They all averted their eyes just long enough for her to lower down and dive into the shallow water. I watched as she slid across an opening between the pirates, disappearing from their view. By the time they opened their eyes and started looking for her, she was already reaching for the neck of the man at the middle of the cluster. One snap later, the man was falling into the water and the girl was holding his sword and a dagger. She looked more than ready to fight.

I looked down at my own hands and wished I could undo the knot. I closed my eyes and focused my energy into my palm. It took a while, and I heard men screaming in pain as they fell into the water. I didn't see it, I could only hear it. And even that was distracting me. I could hear swords clashing, men screaming, and then water sloshing. I continued to push my willpower into my hands until I could feel it burning with energy. I focused that energy into a form I could control. I willed it to flow to my bonds, the rope keeping me bound. Once it was there, I willed the rope to untie itself and for my wrists to come free. It took a minute of pure focus, but I felt the rope loosen enough that it fell off my wrists. I brought my hands out in front of me and I snapped my eyes open.

I took in what I saw. The girl Assassin was standing in the middle of a bunch of bloodied pirates. They all lied in the dark red water. She had a foot on a fat stomach of the last remaining pirate, a scimitar aimed at his throat. "Where are you taking us?" She said with a heavy accent. Ok, so she could speak English then.

The man had his hands out and sprawled out. He was gasping for air as she kept pushing his head underwater with her boot. When his head broke the surface, he screamed, "France! We're going to France."

"Not if I can help it." She pushed his head back underwater and held it there while she looked at me. "I see you managed to free yourself." She called to me before looking at my sisters. "You go ahead and tend to your friends, I will see about killing the Captain and getting us back to…wherever we were before." All the while, the man waved his hands around, trying to pull her leg off of his head. It wasn't helping. His hands finally let go of her leg and fell into the water. I guess he was dead.

Zorro cried out in horror, taking his head out of the salty water. He took a deep breath that resembled a banshee crying out for death. He stood right up, swaying a little while saying, "Ok, I'm ready this time!" He turned to look at me, seeing that my hands were already untied. "Ok, I guess I'll help the other maidens get out of their ropes."

I looked at the Assassin that killed all the men. She must be quite the experienced Assassin to take them all down as easily as she had. She turned to look at me and she smiled. "Oh, by the way, I'm Laila Ishtar. I think you know my brother…" She stepped towards me but accidentally tripped on something. A crossbow that was underneath her launched its bolt straight through the water. She screamed more in surprise than pain as the bolt flew in over her head. I watched as the bolt flew right into a lit oil lamp. The bolt broke the glass containing the oil and shook the burning fire from its resting place. The water under the lamp burst into flames and it was quickly spreading over to us. Even more than that, it was spreading over the large barrels of cannon powder.

Zorro saw this as well as I did and screamed, "Everyone, get down!" He dived into the cage, tackling me. I held my breath as salt water covered my face. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. What I heard was a loud roar that pushed all the water into me so hard that all my breath escaped my lungs. I pushed myself up as fast as I could, but the water was actually increasing now. And it was filling up fast. I brought my head up above the water to see that a giant hole had been ripped into the side of the ship. The water was already up to my waist and it was coming up to my chest. The cage was only so high and it was shut again.

I looked out to see Laila poking her head out of the water. She looked at me and flashed me a toothy grin. "Oops…sorry." I think she shrugged. "I'm kind of a klutz…"

"Just get us out of this cage!" I screamed to her. My sisters were not having as much luck as I was having. I could swim because my hands were unbound. They were all still bound. They were going to drown any minute…as was I if this cage wasn't opened soon. I turned myself around and rushed up to my sisters, bringing my hands out. Ok, I still had this thing charged…and I hear that magic works better under duress.

I pictured my sisters and their fear of drowning. I pictured their bounds coming undone. I pictured their faces as they started sinking underwater. I could feel the water coming even further up my chest now, almost coming up to my neck. It was a good thing I was short. Just because it was reaching me doesn't mean it will reach my sisters yet. I continued to focus on their constraints. I snapped a little willpower out right as the water started reaching my nose. I broke my concentration and started pushing up, floating above the water. My sisters all cried in joy as their ropes fell off their hands. I did it. I freed them!

Zorro's head poked up from the last one and said, "Good think I keep a dagger with me at all times!" He said to me, flashing me a devilish smile. He swam up past me and charged into the cage door. He grabbed on and pulled himself underwater. I watched as Laila's head poked up from the water. She took a deep breath before diving back under. I continued to swim up and I felt my head connect with the top of the cage. This was it…I was running out of space. And the water was already coming back up to my nose.

Zorro's head burst through the water. "The door's open. Move!" He screamed as he dived back under. My sisters and I all nodded as we dived back underwater. I held my breath and tried to open my eyes but the salt in the water cried out to me. I closed my eyes and swam for the opening. I felt my way through the opening and pushed forward, trying to remember where the stairs were. I found them a few seconds later. I felt a hand grab onto my arm and pull me up. I swam instinctively up as fast as I could. My head burst through the water and I was coming up onto the deck.

I wiped the water from my eyes and looked back down at the opening to the underwater dungeon. I could see my sisters all coming up for air, all of them charging past me and onto the now sinking ship. I heard screaming so I turned around. Zorro was out ahead of us, slashing his metallic toothpick as several pirates as they tried to come at us. He slashed at them while keeping them away from us. Once the water broke through the cellar, the pirates all started screaming out.

"We're taking on water! Abandon ship!" Someone screamed out.

Wolfe poked his head over the banister to the stern. He glanced down at us before saying, "What's going on here?"

"Fireball!" I screamed. A light flashed in my hand but it fizzled out. No good. Oh well, that was the best it's ever done before. It was an attack spell, and I was best at…well…other stuff. I watched as more of my sisters ran out of the sinking cellar and out onto the main deck. I started taking count. I think that was everyone but the Assassin that saved us. Well, almost doomed us.

As soon as I started thinking about her, her head burst through the water-logged entrance to the cellar. She exhaled loudly as she pulled herself out of the cellar, smiling up at me. "Oops, almost ran out of air." She reached out for my hand, which I gladly took it and pulled her out of the water. "Thanks." She breathed. When she saw Zorro fighting the pirates, she reached into her robes and pulled out several long daggers.

"Where were you hiding those?" I almost screamed as she pulled the dagger out of her robes.

She turned to smile at me before throwing them at the pirates, while not even turning to look at them. The daggers found plenty of places to find a resting place, while Zorro just stood there with his metal toothpick. Once all the pirates were down on the floor, he turned to face us. "Come, we must end this before the slave-runner escapes."

"Too late." Little Angela called to us as she looked over the side of the ship. "He's on a lifeboat."

I rushed up to her and looked over the side of the ship. Wolfe was paddling away on a small boat with a few of his remaining men. He was shaking his hand at me. "I'll get you for this, witches! And your little white-robed friends too!"

That was the only lifeboat off this ship. Now it was sinking with us onboard it. And the shore was too far for us to just swim there. We'd die of exhaustion before we'd get to the shoreline. Zorro rubbed his chin in thought before smiling. "I have an idea." He turned around and walked up to the stern to the giant wheel. He smiled as he took the wheel and screamed, "I have the helm! Brace for impact, we're ramming the shore!"

I reached down for a banister as the ship started turning. Water was pulling up around us and the ship was pulling under. I sure hoped we had enough of the ship left to run it close enough to shore to get out alive.

* * *

**Cearbhail: **_I sure hope they can run that ship into the harbor and bring it all to the ground...oh wait... did i just ruin that? Captain Jack Sparrow would be pleased._


	7. Ch 7: Everything starts going wrong

**Cearbhail: **_Yes, a new chapter rather quickly compared to usual. Like I said, this will start writing itself now. I already have the next two chapters in my head. It's going to be great. We get to meet...another new charater soon (a legend in her own world), and people die. Nothing happens without consequences...think about that for a while and maybe you'll figure it out. Anyway, enjoy._

* * *

[Little Red]

"We'll never make it!" Little Belle called out as the ship started pulling further underwater. We were still moving towards the harbor, but we were pulling down too much and we were slowing down.

"We won't if that attitude!" Zorro screamed to us as he continued to struggle with the helm. "I've been in worse situations than this…and I won't let it end here!"

I looked back at the entrance to the cellar and saw the water flowing up onto the deck. The water was coming up now and I could see waves splashing over our sides. No…we weren't going to make it. We didn't have enough time.

"Come on!" Zorro screamed to us. "You're a bunch of witches…right? Can't you do something about this water?" He screamed down to us.

I looked around the ship. Most of us were Littles; we only knew basic herbal magic or something that needed candles and crystals. We couldn't just…push water without something to help us along. Just like with my Fireball spell…I needed some dried out leaves to help ignite the flame in my palm before I could launch it out. Being soaked in water didn't help it either.

"I know what we can do." Little Debby said as she looked down at the water pulling us further down. "If we all pitch in and do a basic welling spell…we could possibly push enough water up to push us up out of the water."

That's right! The Welling spell. It was how we got water out of the wells when there wasn't a bucket that could reach far enough down into the well to get any. It was a basic spell, and almost every Little knew how to do it. I found a smile creeping up on my face as I realized…we could survive this if we did work together. There were about 12 or so Littles all here on this ship, and we were all scared of dying underwater. Running water depletes out magic so sinking in the river would practically kill us all. Those of us strong enough to swim to shore would survive, but the current wasn't too weak. Many of us couldn't swim in a current like this.

I stepped forward, nodding to Little Debby. "I think we can do this." I looked at everyone as I pointed to her. "If we do the Welling spell, I think we can push this ship far enough up that we won't sink. If we give it a little push while we're at it…we'll sail right onto the shore."

One of the older Littles, Little Ashley, stepped forward. "I can help push us. I know this wind spell…one that I can aim right at the sails as the others are pushing us out of the water. If we catch the wind just right…I can basically fly us right into the harbor."

Everyone started coming up with several other ideas and we all became a loud obnoxious crowd of spell knowers. Everyone was now giving out their own suggestions, while the ones of us that just wanted to get started were glancing around at the chaos as if everyone was just stupid. I was one of the ones standing around, glancing at everyone bickering their heads off. "Guys…" I started to say. It didn't get me anywhere. "Hey…hey!" I screamed.

Everyone paused and glanced towards me. I pointed to everyone to my left. "Everyone on this side will be doing the Welling spell." I pointed to Little Ashley. "The others on the right will team up with Little Ashley and get started on that wind."

With that all solved, I could see that our ship was beginning to sink underwater now. It was flowing on the deck now and we were getting ankle deep in the river again. Remember what I said about flowing water and depletion of magical ability? I could feel the water rubbing away my mana as it started to grow deeper. "We need to hurry!" I screamed.

"I need a crystal!" Little Belle screamed as she started pacing around. "I've never done a spell without one!" I watched as other Littles started pacing around now. They were just as confused and lost as Belle was. In a fit of sheer frustration and luck, I slapped my hand out. Water from the river lashed out, splashing Belle and several other Littles in the face.

"Hey!" I screamed to them. "If we don't do this…we're going to die. Now…focus!" I pushed that word hard at them. Some of them still looked worried but as I started moving my hands to the correct posture, I could see that Belle and a few others were copying me.

I pushed all my focus off the rising water that was now coming up to my knees. I pushed the feeling that my mana was leaving my body with the running water. I tried to forget that this spell might fizzle out any second because I lacked any focusing items and that I was losing all my energy. No, I had to keep focusing on the water underneath the ship, inside it as well. We could do this. We just needed…ah… I took a deep breath as a strong wind started blowing from behind me. I could hear the masts cry out as the sails caught the wind. I felt the ship begin pulling through the water. Time to help it along.

I pushed my focus outward, willing the water under me to push along with the sails, while pushing up as well. I could feel the ship pushing up. I could feel the water lowering beneath my knees, going down to my ankles. Finally, I felt it leave altogether. I allowed myself to breathe out in both surprise and joy. I had done it…well, we had done it. We not only manipulated magic strong enough to lift a ship but we managed to control a spell of water manipulation for this long. If only we could keep it up.

"You're doing it!" Zorro cried. "You're actually doing it."

I heard a loud smack and a thick accent saying, "They need to focus. Leave your mouth to yourself." I could tell it was Laila based on the fact that she was the only one with a Middle Eastern accent on board this ship.

"I could never do such a thing with such beautiful maidens aboard." Zorro said coyly as he started chuckling to Laila. I heard another smack upside his head. "Ok, I get it."

I continued to focus on pushing the ship up while pushing it forward. The wind helped a lot. At least with Zorro behind the wheel, we would reach the shoreline. I was sure that he could at least keep us on track. I could feel my arms pulling against me, my mana pulling so hard against my body that I felt like my struggling connection with the water would snap at any second. I tried to relieve the tension by exhaling slowly and relaxing my muscles, but it only made my connection feel weaker. I wish we could hurry this up.

"Brace, brace, brace!" Zorro cried. "Stop the spell-throwing. We're going to crash!"

I dropped my concentration at that very second and snapped my eyes open. My fellow Littles did the same. Right in front of us was the harbor. We were flying right towards it. "We're going to crash!" Little Belle screamed. All the Littles, myself included, screamed in horror as we ran to the side of the ship to grab onto whatever we could. I wrapped my arms around a banister and looked over to see that we were already crashing into the deck. The ship almost came to a direct stop, but I could hear the wood underneath the ship rip to shreds.

As we came crashing into the decks, several other ships were brushed aside by the giant wave of upwelling water that we had created. Some actually flipped over and were now sinking underwater. The upwelling gave us enough clearance so that we had sailed right over the docks and were now crashing into the small settlement surrounding the harbor. I looked down to see all the shocked faces of the people still outside. They had not expected us to come flying this far inland. Several shops were bombarded by loose boards of wood, while giant waves carried them into the town's area. People cried out in horror as they were swept away with the sudden tide. Even more so, people ran for their lives as our giant sinking ship bull-rushed through several shops.

"Sorry!" Zorro screamed over the screams of people crying out in horror. "I'm new to galleons!" Our ship crashed into a blacksmith's shop and we suddenly came to a stop. The pull of the crash threw me forward, as it did with several other Littles.

As we came to our final stop, I rolled over to my back and let my breath catch up with me. I found myself laughing as I lied there. I heard several other witches laugh along with me. I don't know why we were laughing. We just destroyed an entire harbor and probably caused some innocent death while we did it. No matter what, we were alive. I looked up at the helm to see Laila and Zorro nodding in appreciation.

Laila was looking out over to the field leading to Nottingham. "Is…is that my…?" She said and then started running to the edge of the ship. "I'm coming brother!" She screamed as she jumped over the side of the ship. I had no idea where she went but I knew that we couldn't stay here.

…

[Malik Ishtar]

"Come with us quietly and we'll execute you quickly after a scheduled hearing and trial tomorrow morning. The fact that you killed a guard is enough for execution, so don't bother hoping for release." A knight with a crossbow aimed at my head said as he started moving his horse over to me.

"So, if I surrender, I die. If I resist, I _may_ die." I shrugged as I stepped towards him, bringing my sword up to him. "So…what's my incentive here?"

I watched as three crossbows here drawn up. I heard them release and I didn't have enough time to move. I felt several bolts rip across my legs, lightly sliding across me. It was enough to make me drop to my knee in pain. The guard was now standing over me, smiling. "The difference is a quick death over slow…and painful."

"Sir…the harbor…" A guard was screaming. "Look."

He turned his head away from me for a fraction of a second. That was all I needed. I snapped myself up, knocking his crossbow from arm…and I mean the hand holding the crossbow from the arm. He cried out in horror. It drew all the guards' eyes away from whatever was happening at the harbor and back over to me. It didn't matter, though. I had enough time to do what I planned next. I remember what I saw. A guard had released a reddened arrow into the air and it exploded into a bright fire. I needed one of those arrows. I flew behind the horse as several bolts flew past me. A few of them hit the horse with the bleeding/crying knight. I had just snaked my hand into the carrier bag filled with crossbow bolts when the horse took off running.

I was pulled off my feet, but I kept my hand clutched to the bag. The bag ripped open and the floor was littered with crossbow bolts as the horse charged off. The bag ripping also threw me off the horse and I fell face-first into the dirt. The bleeding knight fell off his horse, landing a few feet away from me. I looked over my shoulder to see several other crossbows being raised at me. I pushed forward, coming into a roll. My eyes darted over to the harbor for a second. I had to see what had distracted them so badly. And I could see it. The ship containing the captured witches was now sitting in the middle of the harbor, tilted to one side. I could see the witches were casually lying on the deck out of the shored ship with my 'Sight'. Good, they were safe at least. I could tell, allies appeard as a light blue in my Sight...dead don't appear at all.

That gave me enough reason to further distract and confuse my attackers. Several bolts flew across me, one caught me in my arm. So, now I was bleeding down my left arm, several spots on my legs, and I had a small wound on my chest when I accidentally stabbed myself with one of my throwing knives when I rolled on the floor. It fell out of its slot and found a small place in my ribs. I'd be just fine.

I looked down at the ground to see one of those reddened bolts. I snatched it, spun myself around, and jumped over to the knight's discarded arm. I dodged several other bolts before I dived for the arm still clutching the crossbow. I caught another bolt in my ass as I came to a diving slam into the ground. That didn't stop me. I pulled out the other bolt and slammed the other bolt in its place. I pushed myself up on my feet, grabbing the arm and hugging close to me. I had my finger on the knight's finger. "You better run!" I cried to the knights.

"You couldn't possibly be that dumb." One knight said.

"Oh yeah?" I asked rhetorically as I pulled the trigger straight at the neutral ground all around us. The bolt whizzed out, slamming into the ground. It hissed for a few seconds, all of us glaring down at it with growing interest. It finally made a popping sound, one that was so strong that I was thrown off my feet. My ears screamed out in pain as the loud screeching sound of the bolt tore through my eardrums. The knights on their horses weren't having any better time than I was. They were wearing helmets. They amplified noise most of the time. And it scared the horses. All the horses reared as they whinnied in fear. Some of them started running away, while others were running around randomly as they tried to escape the sound. That's when the bolt exploded. A bright flash overcame me, blinding me almost instantly. Then I felt a strong force throw me back and a large warmth almost overtake me.

…

[The Hood]

"Sir, did you see that?" Little John screamed to me as we watched the harbor. I nodded as I scanned the carnage. The witches, at least I believed they were the cause of it, had somehow pulled the sinking ship out of the water and had created a massive bubble wave of swelling water. I watched as that bubble of water crashed into the harbor, swallowing several buildings in the process. Damn…that was both impressive and destructive. I think I had a new fear/respect for these witches now. There were not to be messed with. I wonder which spell they used that caused the water to explode to begin with. I saw the ship rock as a massive stream of water exploded on the side of the ship. Giant flames had erupted on the side but were quickly quieted by the raging water. That's when it started to sink.

I turned to look at Little John. "Ok, I think we can get to the witches now. And…we don't have to swim to get them either." I said in joyous tones. Everyone cried out in joy as we celebrated a successful mission. Well, almost successful. We still had to get to the witches and then it was a matter of getting away without the guards filling us with arrows and sword tips. A wonderful thing to avoid at all costs.

We were still waiting near the end of the woods waiting for something to happen. The Assassin was busy keeping all the knights around him, while the watchtower kept him in their light. That was good, they were so busy that I knew that I could get across the field to save the witches. That's when I heard a massive explosion. That made all our heads snap away from the ship. The Assassin had done the unthinkable, he fired a flare bolt into the ground. That…genius! That would distract everyone from the uprooted ship drowning the harbor. Oh…the poor harbor people.

I turned to face everyone. "Ok, new objective. We're saving whoever we can at the crash site. I'll escort the witches away, the rest of you will search and rescue all survivors of the massive swell. Understood?"

Everyone nodded and we broke cover. We sprinted as fast as we could over the dead of night. The sun had set a while ago and now it was growing dark fast. With that in mind, a massive explosion of fire off to our right would keep the knights busy, well…that and a burning mine. We were the last of their objectives of the evening. So, I kept running with everything I had. Hopefully, everyone would escape alive, the Assassin included. He definitely knew what he was doing, I could see that now. In one day, we've caused more damage to the Throne than I could have in a month. Truly, this isn't the type of stuff I hoped to do: crash a ship, drown a section of town, blow up the mines…but it was working. I just hoped we were ready for the consequences of what was happening. We couldn't possibly get away with this. There would be problems following this.

I started slowing down as we came up to the previously flooded harbor. I could still see where the water had rushed over the town. Several people were gawking in horror at the docks and the ruined buildings. I turned around, screaming, "Find any wounded, treat them, and find anyone out cold or dead and try to bring them back." My men nodded and began taking off to help any wounded.

As I approached the ship, I heard someone screaming from above me. "I'm coming, brother!"

I looked up in time to see a teenager wearing the white robes of the Assassin falling right into my face. She looked just as shocked as I did as she came free-falling right into me. I held my hands up to try to catch her, but another arm materialized out of nowhere. Little John, who stood inches above me, snatched her out of the air, catching her with little effort and halting her almost instantly.

She turned and laughed awkwardly at Little John. "Hehe…thanks." She said as she started rustling around in his arms. "Now…let me go! I have to go save my brother." So, Little John set her down and she took off again.

"Wait!" I called. "The Assassin is your brother?"

She stopped to turn around. "Yeah…what of it?" She looked at me suspiciously. "You kinda look like an Assassin. Are you one?"

I shrugged. "He's turning me into one…I guess."

She smiled in return. "Wow…he's fast." She turned around and started taking off again. "Bye!"

I tried to call to her, but she was already taking off. Did she not know that the Assassin had killed himself? I saw the explosion. There was no way he could have survived that. I turned my head away to see a rope-ladder flying over the side of the ship. Several witches started climbing down the ladder and I was at the right position to see up their dresses. So, I turned my head away. I watched the Assassin girl run off towards the exploding light. I could see more knights coming up. Oh no…there was no way she was going to survive such an ambush. Then I saw the impossible; the watchtower exploded. It was fine for a second but then erupted into a massive fireball that not only destroyed the tower, but brought down a large chunk of the wall while it did fall. Man…King John was going to be pissed. What the hell did that?

I turned my head away as someone tapped my shoulder. Little Red stood just a few feet away from me, her red hair plastered to her face. She smiled at me and threw me into a hug. "I knew you'd come!" She said.

I patted her on the back and managed to say, "I'd never leave you. Now, come." I started pulling her away. "We must get out of here, now, before the guards catch up."

Little Red nodded and turned to look at the other witches. It was then that I could see that everyone was soaked to their bones. What the heck happened up there? I don't think I want to know. "Ok, everyone. We have to lie low for a while and Robin has a hideout in the forest. So…we're just going to follow him back to his place. Ok?" Everyone nodded. Good, we actually managed to pull this off. I just hope our new Assassin is up to the task of keeping us safe once she learns that her brother is dead. And I hope she doesn't do something utterly stupid.

…

[Malik Ishtar]

I lied there on the ground for a second, blindly pulling at the grass in front of me. I had a chance to get away. But…that tower was probably still keeping that torchlight aimed at me. I had to get rid of that torch. I blinked my eyes a few times as I tried to push myself back onto my feet. I could hear the knights crying out in pain. I could also hear a loud roaring fire. So…my hearing had come back then. Orange flames started appearing in my eyes and finally I could faintly see flames roaring all around me. I shook the confusion from my eyes as I looked around. The entire field had blossomed into a raging fire. Some of the knights that had fallen from their horses were crying in horror as they were cooked to death in their armor. That had to suck. I had pulled myself out of the burning circle. I glanced down to see the crossbow I had used was also away from the fire. And I could see several other flaming bolts. Good, I think I had a plan.

I snatched a few flaming bolts and loaded them in some of the discarded crossbows lying on the ground. I brought my crossbow up and aimed it at the giant watchtower with the torchlight looking down at me. I sure hope they were watching now. Because I was about to become one with the shadows in a few seconds. I released the bolt and watched as the red bolt whizzed away. A few seconds later, I saw it fly into the watchtower. I waited a few seconds, watching for anything. A giant fire blossomed and I watched as the entire watchtower exploded into a giant mess of rocks and spiting fire. It wobbled for a second before falling down, taking parts of the wall down with it.

I nodded and grabbed the other two loaded crossbows. I would need these later. In fact…I strapped the crossbows to my side pouch and began looking for flaming bolts. I found three more and quickly began shoving them up my left sleeve. I wanted these for later.

I heard several stomping hooves and I found myself groaning in annoyance. I turned around to see ten or more knights flying out of the walled city to come up to me. There were even more of them behind the ten coming out to greet me. It was a good thing I waited to get my crossbow. I unlatched one of the already loaded crossbows and brought it up to the middle of the formation. If I could tag a horse with one of the bolts…imagine the carnage of a flaming horse could do.

"Brother!" I heard a familiar voice call from my left. It was enough to make me lower my weapon and look over in surprise. It was my sister…what the hell was she doing out here? And why was she soaking wet? And…why was she wearing Assassin robes? She was barely even old enough to be one. Heck, I just got promoted and I was two years older than her.

"Laila?" I asked/screamed as she came running up to me. "What are you doing here?" I asked as several knights started forming up around us.

"Ready!" One of the knights called as the other knights brought their crossbows up to a line, aiming right down at us.

"I…" She started. She pushed into my chest, giving me a big hug. "I wanted to see you!"

"Aim!" The knights started really aiming at us now. Great…I would have to do something about this soon. Too bad dealing with my sister came higher on my list than twenty plus knights forming up to kill us.

"Why aren't you home studying?" I asked her. "And why are you in those robes? Last I checked: you were on suspension from Assassination school for catching the herbalist's shop on fire."

She smiled sheepishly at me. "Well, once you left before saying goodbye, I went to the Master. I may have leveled the town looking for you beforehand…and I may have sent several instructors to the herbalist while raging over you missing. So, the Master told me…"

"Fire.." I brought my crossbow up and launched it at the lead knight. The flaming bolt caught him in the head. He rocked back, every knight glancing up at him. He exploded into a giant fiery mess, raining melting metal onto the other knights. The horses, startled as ever, all started taking off. I clipped the crossbow back to my pouch before turning back to my sister.

"Go on." I said.

"Well, the Master called me to his office and told me that he sent you to England. He gave me a map showing me where you went and so…I decided to come along. The Master awarded me Assassin robes for beating several of the instructors and let me leave. I…I think he was happy to be rid of me."

My sister. She was a hot-headed fighter that caused nothing but destruction in her wake. But she was also a feather-brain. She didn't take social cues that well and it usually led her to a fight over something someone said months ago. And that fight usually led to a building or three being burnt to the ground. She was a klutz like myself, but I when something explodes, it's because I accidentally dropped something explosive. She…well she actually causes explosions just because she's upset. She did have one weakness, one thing she loved. That was me. She was that sister than clung to me throughout childhood, especially when Mother died. Dad did everything he could to care for us, and he did a good job. But he was usually out doing Assassin stuff, not home. I took care of our family when he was away. Just me and my sister.

My sister laughed as she looked around. "Wow…look at what you did. You don't play around. Sinking ships, burning fields, bringing down walls keeping cities safe."

I nodded. "And we blew up the mines giving them iron. Not bad for my first week in Nottingham. Now.." I said as more knights were charging out of the town. "We should go, I don't like these odds." I brought up the other loaded crossbow and launched it right at the gates leading to the city. I didn't stay to see it explode. I grabbed Laila by her soaked arm and started pulling her to follow me. "We must run now. We have to make sure the witches get away."

She smiled at me, saying, "Some guy with a green hood has them. He said he knew you."

I found myself laughing. "Locksley…good. He did the right thing." I turned our course. Instead of running down to the harbor, I was now running for the forest. Once we cleared the first tree, we were as good as safe from the knights. Nothing bad could possibly happen to us now. We were in the clear. Mission: successful. We freed the witches, I found my sister (by mistake), destroyed the mines, killed a lot of knights, blew up the wall to the city, disrupted the slave trade, and more than likely pissed off King John. All in a good day's work.

* * *

**Cearbhail: **_Next chapter I will get the head rolling...oops?_


	8. Ch 8: Consequences

**Cearbhail: **_Yes, I have finally posted something new. I knew what I wanted to do for this chapter for almost a month now, but I haven't had the time to sit down to it. But, it's up now. Next chapter should be interesting because I introduce a new character. I'm sure you'll figure it out shortly. Anyway, enjoy._

* * *

[King John]

"Your Highness, Duke Wolfe is requesting an audience with you."

I thought it was just a dream, but when I opened my eyes, a guard was waiting by my bedroom door. I glanced around the room, hoping to see that it was morning. However, it was quite the opposite. I didn't see the sun at all. Great…a late night request from Duke Wolfe. I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather want to do than to listen to him whine.

I pushed myself out of my silk sheets and brushed off my nightgown. I grabbed my royal night robes, tied them off, grabbed my crown, and followed the armed guard to the royal courtyard. I'd been woken up in such conditions before, and it usually meant something bad had happened. I didn't like it when bad things happened. That meant I had to do something. I'd warn Wolfe to never summon me, whether day or night. I warned him that if he did it again, I'd have his head. This had better damn well be worth it.

The guard stepped out of my way as we entered the courtyard. I brushed past him, nodding to him. He took up a position behind me. Several other guards strolled around the courtyard with their crossbows at the ready. The night shift was unusually active tonight. Then I heard the bell towers clanging off in the distance. I could see billows of smoke in the night sky, as well as the bright plumes of fire reaching up into the sky. What had happened in the past two hours?

The answer lied with Duke Wolfe, and I knew it did. He waited patiently for me, soaked from head-to-toe. He looked like he took a swim in the river. So, whatever had happened, Wolfe had to have been in the middle of it. I took a deep breath and proceeded to walk up to him, keeping my voice low and under control. The Sheriff of Nottingham stood beside him, guards lining up behind him. If he was here then it could not be good at all. As if the billows of smoke and fire were not enough indication of that.

"Duke Wolfe, you had better have a good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night." I spoke lightly enough to show my control but with the force of a king reproaching a peasant. Before Wolfe could respond, I looked over to Sheriff William Brewer. "Do you care to tell me why my city is up in flames?"

Sheriff Brewer bowed down to his knee. "Sorry, Milord! It seems that a warrior from the holy lands has infiltrated our city. He has laid waste to our town, our lighthouse, our barracks, and our harbor."

"A warrior from the holy land?" I echoed his choice of words. "What makes you think one of those sand crawlers is here in England?"

Duke Wolfe stepped forward. "I've seen him myself, Milord. He wears all white; some sort of dress with baggy pants. He has a giant hood that he keeps pulled over his head. He's dressed head-to-toe in weapons. And he fights like the demons they are known to serve."

That description might have been accurate. I've never seen one of them myself, but that sounded like something out of our fairytales. I turned to look at Brewer. "Have you seen him as well?"

"I have not, Milord, but I have plenty of knights that have seen two of them: one man and one girl." He responded. "The girl was reported leaving the ship that crashed into the docks."

"What?" I held my voice back so much that it barely broke out as a whisper. "A ship crashed on the docks?" I looked back at Wolfe, seeing him still dripping onto the floor. "What happened to you? Why are you soaked?"

"I was on my way to Paris with my shipment of slaves. That girl in white was one of the heretics from the Holy Land. We didn't think much about her; she was unarmed and dressed in simple white robes. But when we tried to restrain her, she moved so quickly that my men didn't stand a chance. She killed all of them and freed my shipment of slaves. Then they blew up my cannon powder. The ship started sinking and the slaves started fighting back. I jumped ship and watched as they sailed my ship right into the harbor, drowning half the town in water before destroying half the harbor with the ship."

How could simple slaves do so much damage with a sinking ship? "Exactly who were your slaves?"

"Heretics, Milord. Non-believers of the church. Witches." He responded. That's when it all came into place in my mind.

That was right; Duke Wolfe was transporting the vile witches from this town and giving them to France. Well, the ones I didn't keep locked up in the dungeon. I kept them around because they were useful when I need something done. However, this was a troubling development. If the witches revolted once, it could mean that they were getting ready to begin fighting back. I could not have that. Too many of them were too powerful to let them run around as they wished. "You're saying that a handful of witches sank our ships and destroyed our harbor?"

Duke Wolfe nodded. "I am saying that indeed, Milord."

I turned to Sheriff Brewer. "I want your men to seize and kill all known witches. Clean this town out once and for all." As he started to turn to go, I grabbed his shoulder. "But before you go; what else has happened to my city?"

He turned back to face me. "According to the reports: the bandits from the forest have blown up our iron mine outside of town; and the white warrior killed several of our guards as well as an innocent wagon puller. We believe this warrior is working with the bandits, who we also believe is responsible for the release of our prisoners aboard Duke Wolfe's ship."

So much had happened in one night. We could not let this go without some sort of response. I had to do something to make sure that everyone knew not to screw around with my town. If those witches destroyed my harbor, I would destroy them. If those bandits blew up my iron mine, I would crush them with all my might. If there was a warrior from the sand lands in my town, I would send him back home in a box. "Sheriff, we have some witches to hunt."

"Right away, Milord. … I don't know where they hide." Sheriff Brewer looked worried for a second. He feared what I might do to him if he failed me. He should be afraid, but his concern was noted.

"I have a few of their members in my dungeons. Let's pay them a visit and see if we can get a few answers from them." A smile formed on my lips. I had a few new toys I wanted to test out. Today was getting better already. "Do you know how to pull fingernails out?"

…

[Malik Ishtar]

I looked around the camp. It did not look like we forgot anyone. Everyone that I personally knew was huddled around the campfire; the coven members were warming up by the fire. Locksley and his men were celebrating several victories against the King's forces. And then there was my sister, who for whatever reason, was here in England. And she was standing right in front of me, preparing to tell me why she was here.

"So, tell me, Laila…why are you up here? Why aren't you in Assassin school with the other initiates?"

Laila gave me a toothy smile, one she used on Father all the time when she wanted to get away with something, and rubbed the back of her head in both embarrassment and contemplative hesitation. I knew she was just stalling before she told me what I already knew. "I…missed you?"

"You told me that, already. Why didn't Father stop you?"

She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "He doesn't own me."

"He kinda does." I replied back. "Last I checked, you were being arranged to marry Yaliab. What happened to that?"

She shrugged. "He may have tried to kiss me, and I may have burnt his house to the ground and burnt his face off with melting cheese. It's hard to say, really." She shrugged again, this time shaking her head. "but I think the wedding is off."

This time, I was the one shaking my head, face-palming lightly as I rubbed my temples. This girl was lucky to be alive. If any other girl did what she did, they'd have been punished for it. Heck, she still might if she returned. As I looked her in the eye, I don't know if I had it in me to send her back. If she returned, she'd be punished (probably killed) for what she did. If I let her stay, her punishment would only grow with each day passed. Sending her back might be a blessing or a death sentence. But, if she was here under my orders…that was a different story. As an Assassin, I could take on initiates to help me with my station if I was undermanned (which I was). So, this seemed like the best course of action.

I nodded to her and said, "Well, you can't return home. If you did, Dad would have to kill you. If you stay here, Dad will kill you. But…if I order you to stay and help, Dad can't touch you until you're dismissed. So…you're staying here under my orders."

Laila's face broke out into a massive smile. She flew into my chest, hugging me tightly. "Thank you, brother! I'll be good, I swear." _Does that mean she'll only destroy half the city?_ I thought bitterly as she hugged me tight. As much as I loved my sister, she was a handful when she got angry. Maybe it was a good thing she was here with me after all. I can keep an eye on her. As long as nothing crazy happens that messes with my overall plan, we should be good.

I turned to face both Locksley and Little Red. I nodded to both of them. "I think we should lay low tonight and head back into Nottingham tomorrow. Well, just the four of us. Just to make sure we can get the others to their homes with little trouble."

Locksley nodded. "I hate to admit it, but we overdid it tonight. King John will not let this go so easily."

Little Red looked worried. "But…if he doesn't know who did it, who will he punish?"

Locksley snickered and shook his head. "If he doesn't know who did it…he'll punish the whole town. But…I'm guessing Wolfe got away…didn't he?"

Little Red nodded. "Yes, he did."

"Then King John knows the following facts: Wolfe transports slaves for profits. He also hates witches. A ship-full of profits and witches just destroyed half his harbor. If he's looking for someone to blame…he has a target already in mind." Locksley said while glancing between Little Red and myself. "I will bet that tonight, every witch in town will be targeted and killed. And…we're not there to save them."

Every Little in the ground all gasped at hearing Locksley say that. Little Red fell to her knees, her eyes tearing up. "No…" She whispered. Then she bolted up on her feet, sprinting past us. "I have to go warn them!" She took off through the woods. It barely gave us enough time to even process what she was about to do. Honestly, I should have seen it coming. Both the consequences and Little Red taking off on her own to save someone.

I sprinted to catch up to her, but she was quick on her feet. She kept going further and further away from me. I couldn't keep up, so I did the next best thing, I tried to keep pace with her. As she continued to fly through the forest ground, I continued to keep up behind her. I could do a lot of things to slow her down, but not without hurting her. But, hurting her would be a lot better option than her dying. I looked behind me to see Locksley and Laila tagging along behind me. I looked back up at Red to see her still sprinting forward, dodging trees and branches like they were nothing to her. I, on the other hand, seemed to take them all as awkwardly as someone who didn't grow up around them. So, I did the only thing I could. "Red! Stop running! You'll only die if you expose yourself!" She didn't respond to me, she just kept charging through the woods. "Ok, I get it. You have to save your coven. So, follow me! I'll make sure you get into the town undetected. And we'll save your friends!"

She didn't slow down, but she did scream back, "Ok, that's fine. Once we get near the edge of the forest, I'll stop for you. Until then, you better keep up or I'm leaving you behind."

…

[Bo-Peep]

The Assassin was long overdue. He should have been back by now. Of course, I heard all the commotion outside the walls of Little Red's house. I could feel the explosions, the emotions of the confused knights, the pain of all those on shore when the ship ran them over. I felt every single one of their lives blink out. I felt the pain they endured in their last seconds of life. To feel all that in the course of a few seconds between 20 or more people…it's soul tearing.

But there was nothing I could do. The least I could do was feel their pain as they were whisked away from this mortal plane. It is my fault they all suffered. I sent the Assassin to go free my children. I thought he could handle it, but I guess I am wrong. I thought he'd do as least amount of damage as possible. I saw his heart. He has a good heart. He cares for the people in his company, and for those who have normal lives. I believed he would do all in his power to keep those innocent bystanders alive. After sensing what I have sensed all night long, I do not feel that is the case. While he has a good heart and his intentions are noble, he has no control over his environment yet. He is the slave to his body and mind, not the master. And until he can master his environment, more will die. And I fear, it will start with me.

Jingleheimer must feel it too. He's been very silent the past few minutes. The way he clutches his cane close to him, the way he silently chews on the inside of his cheek. He knows what's about to happen. I cannot help but feel responsible for how this has turned out. And now, I must own to my mistakes. I'm sure the Assassin will own up to his, in his own time. I casted a glance to Jingleheimer. He glanced over to me, smiling sourly and nodding to me. He knows it is time.

So, I do the only thing I can do. I give them a chance. "Mary, Tommy, Jack, Jill, Muffet, and Lucy. I believe it is time for you to go."

My granddaughter looked up at me with curious eyes. "Grandmother?"

I started to push myself up on my feet. My knees creaked with the effort and I felt one of my joints snap. I hated being old. There were spells I could do to keep myself younger, but I never liked relying on mana for everything. Age catches us all, well…most of us. Mother Goose was eternal. She was a legend. She was the best of us. And I expected that she'd be here any day. Too bad, I don't think I'll be alive to see it.

Jingleheimer started to rise to his feet as well. "Hoods up, Littles. Tonight, there will be a severe thunderstorm. It will mask your escape."

"Our what?" Lucy cried out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. What escape?"

That's when someone pounded on the door. "On the orders of his Majesty, open the door."

Jingleheimer sighed as he started walking towards the door. "That escape. There will be others out back. Wait for my signal and then run for it, out through the back door." He started to open the front door, pausing to look back at me. "Are you ready?"

I turned around and grabbed Mary by the shoulder. She looked up at me, confused and worried. "Grandma? What's going on?"

I smiled at her and hugged her close to me. "Run as fast as you can for the forest. Don't look back, don't slow down. Get your friends out of Nottingham." I pushed her away from me. "Go! Don't dawdle about."

Mary still looked confused but she rushed with the others to the back door. When Jingleheimer nodded, they opened the door and ran out. Just seconds before they charged out the door, a giant streak of lightning crashed into the backyard, both blinding and distracting the knights blocking the exit. I watched as my granddaughter and what remained of the Littles charged out into the darkness provided by the thunderstorm. The heavy rain and wind should keep the archers from taking them out. And their protection charms should keep them invisible from anyone looking for them.

I started to sit myself back down. Jingleheimer opened the door and it suddenly burst open. Knights dressed in heavy armor stormed into the house, from both the front door and the back door. They quickly and efficiently cleared the rooms, drawing crossbows on both Jingleheimer and myself. "You are hereby under arrest for witchcraft."

I smiled despite knowing how this would end. "Oh Humpty Dumpty…how history repeats." I looked over at Jingleheimer. "Should we show them what we can do?"

Jingleheimer started to sit down as well, taking off his glasses and cleaning them off. "No…I don't feel like starting a war." He looked over at me. "We've lived a good long life. Haven't we?"

My years were way behind me. My only reason for living was to make sure my coven had the proper instruction. They were in safe hands with the Assassin. And with Mother Goose coming by, they would receive proper instruction as well. I felt good about this. It was time to go. "Yes, we have had a good life." I nodded to the guards. "We'll go quietly."

…

[Malik Ishtar]

I don't know where this heavy rainstorm came from, but it was exactly what we needed to sneak back into the town. I didn't dare go through the massive hole I created by accident when I blew up the watchtower. That would have been an easy entrance, but I bet they had it supervised at all times. So, I took the alternative route. The ladder that Locksley showed me. It was on the opposite side of town and it was easy for Red to climb as well.

Once we were on top of the staircase, walking was across the rooftops was challenging but easier than running down the now flooding streets. Not flooding with water, but flooding with people. The sun was barely rising. What could bring everyone outside this early in the morning? I looked back at Red to see that she was still scared to death about being on a roof of a building, but she was even more scared of slipping on wet tiles. "Are people usually up this early?"

She slowly trudged up to me, slipping on the tiles every few steps. When she saw the giant collection of people clambering through the streets, she looked shocked. "It's pouring outside. No one would be out here unless it was the King demanded it." She turned to look at me. "Do you think…"

I nodded to her. "Let's go see what's happening."

So, we raced across the rooftops, well, slowly. I looked on ahead. The rain had let up a little and visibility was still pretty low. But that worked in our favor as well. If we approached silently and cautiously, we could easily approach whatever was going on and get out just as easily.

The river of people seemed to form into a giant semi-circle up ahead. I couldn't really see what was going on, but I could see ropes hanging off a giant pole. And three people were lined up. I activated my Sight, which allowed me to see what was going on. I could see the Coven Mother and the Coven Father standing side-by-side, their arms tied behind their backs. A man wearing a black mask over his face as starting to put ropes around their necks.

Oh no! They were going to be hanged. I charged forward, screaming, "Stay here!" I called to them. I pushed as fast as I could go, jumping from one roof to the next.

"For the crimes of 34 counts of murder. For the crimes of destroying Nottingham port, sinking of trading ships, the damage to the mines, and the destruction of the wall. We find your coven guilty as charged. Do you offer anything in your defense?" I could hear the Sheriff address the Coven Mother.

I felt a solid wall of nothing slam into me. I was taken off my feet, crashing into my back. The rain was eerily silent for that few seconds. "What transpired is entirely my fault, no one else's. Punish me, if you wish, but as my final wish, do not harm my children. They had no part in this tragedy."

Everyone in the town started booing her and Jingleheimer. I looked up to see the townspeople chucking tomatoes and other things at the old lady. A large crackle of lightning overhead seemed to silence the crowd. When they settled down, the Sheriff nodded. "Your final wish has been noted." He reached up for the lever.

The Coven Mother looked up at me. I was a good distance away, but she peered right into my eyes. She seemed to smile and even offered a small nod. _Take care of my children, Assassin._ She closed her eyes and that's when I heard the trap door underneath her give in. I watched as her neck snapped and she flailed for a few seconds before coming to a stop. More lightning flashed overhead.

The Sheriff walked over to Jingleheimer. "Do you have any final requests?"

Jingleheimer looked up at me and smirked. "All I ask is that someone take care of my dog." He nudged his head. "End of the street, brown coat, responds to Jacky. Likes pig fat."

The Sheriff looked confused by his statement. "Yes…we will see to that." He pulled the lever and the trap door underneath him gave in. I watched again as Jingleheimer flailed before coming to a stop. So…this was it. The leadership for the coven in this town was dead. I was all alone. I had to take care of all the witches without the support of the Coven Mother or…whatever Jingleheimer was. And worse off…I had to tell Red that I failed in protecting her leadership.

"No…" I heard right behind me. I spun myself around to see Red standing only a few feet away. She was gazing at the hanging, her eyes wide and her face more flushed than usual. "She's…she's gone. They killed her." Her face hardened for a second and I think I saw some sort of blue flame fly out of her eyes. "I'll…" She stopped, glancing down at her feet. "I'll get them for this."

As she started to charge forward, I could see the malice in her eyes. I've seen it in my sister's a lot. She was out for blood. If I did not get her under control, there would be another dead witch in a few minutes. So, I stood up, tackled her to the ground, and pinned her arms to the ceiling tiles. "No!" I whispered to her. "Do not give in to your hatred. The only thing that awaits you is death right now." She tried to struggle against me but I kept her hands pinned to the floor. "She died so that you would survive. If you go out there now…you'll only make her death meaningless. Listen, if you want revenge, I can train you. I can turn you into an Assassin. We'll get you your revenge."

She finally stopped struggling and glanced up at me. "Is that a promise?"

I nodded. "I will teach you everything you need to know to make them pay. But…you can't kill anyone unless I say it's ok. Ok?"

She glared at me for a few seconds before nodding. "Ok, fine." I released her hands and slowly started climbing off of her. When she stood up, she brushed her hair from her eyes and said, "So, what are we going to do first?"

"Teach you to blend in. Because it looks like this town is looking for you…and your friends. But, I guess for now, we should lay low and stay in the forest." I looked back at Locksley, who was now catching up to me with my sister right behind him.

My sister looked over at Red and smiled. "I've seen that look plenty of times. Who are we going to kill?"

"No one." I informed her. "My mission is not one of death…one of distraction. I am here to cause chaos to King John. So…" I looked back at Red. "no killing anyone unless I say so."

Both Laila and Red looked unhappy with my decision. "Yes, sir."

"Yes, brother."

They both said it in a deadpanned voice, showing just how much they thought of my decision. Oh great…this was going to be a fun week. I turned around to face Locksley. "Well, let's get back to the forest. There is nothing left here to do."

* * *

**Cearbhail: **_Yes, I know, I said 'heads rolling'. I originally thought guillotine but there is just something about lightning and hanging that makes deaths so...special. Anyway, ha! Wolfe is a Duke. I thought that was funny. See you next time._


	9. Ch 9: Mother Duck?

**Cearbhail: **_This took me a while. I knew what I needed to do with it, but I wasn't sure about how I should go about writing it. Anyway, enjoy. Let me know what you think of the story so far. And yes, eventually there will be apples and stuff floating around. And Templars will be involved._

* * *

[Malik Ishtar]

_Dear journal,_

_I have failed in my personal mission. The coven that I sought to protect has fallen to the hands of King John. While we did destroy the iron mines that provided King John with precious iron for his swords and armor; sink a ship that was used for illegal human trafficking; and raid the King's personal icebox for all his meat and wine…it came at a cost that we cannot recover from. Many witches lost their lives last night. It was a purge that I couldn't stop. I was too late. The Coven Mother Bo-Peep and the Father John Jingleheimer were hung in front of the city late last night. While we were recovering, several other witches were taken from their houses and were found in the streets the following mornings with their heads chopped off._

_But there is some luck. Most of the Littles were in the woods during the purge. But, I feel that we are no longer safe here. We must be on high alert for now on. Or at least until I can tear down a few printed posters of my supposed face or maybe even bribe a few couriers to speak about kinder things than all the stuff I've done lately. Who knows, I might even run into a Templar agent that I can kill. That will get the place really calm. I don't know why, but it helps. Well, anyway. Locksley and I are going into town to get some hair trimmers and hair dye, as well as some new clothes. I've sent a request of Acre for a few boxes of initiate robes and gear. Might as well get everyone suited up and trained. Until then, I must begin training Locksley and Red. Luckily, my sister is helping Red with her studies._

_Malik…_

_…_

Walking around the rooftops, looking down at the people going about their normal lives was just an informative as it usually was. The people reacted negatively to seeing bodies being dragged away by knights, but once explained that the bodies were related to the burning of iron mines and the harbor incident, there were no tears shed. I knew better. I was the blame for the harbor incident, as was Wolfe. If he hadn't been transporting slaves, the ship would have never needed to come to a crashing halt. And if I had planned my mission better and overseen the mine explosion, there would have never been an incident other than dead slavers and a few guards.

The streets were more active than usual. People seemed out of sorts, like life was just turned upside down for them. People aimlessly wandered the streets in a chaotic haze, like something massive had just happened. Maybe it was all the dead bodies, but it seemed more than that. So, Locksley and I continued to stroll across the rooftops, looking for answers. The marketplace probably had the answers I was looking for.

"I have a question." Locksley brought up as we began strolling to the marketplace.

"What is it?"

"Why is it…whenever we walk on the rooftops…no one seems to notice us?"

That question took me off guard. I mean, I had asked the same thing when I was seven, when I had just begun learning the Assassin's trade. I guess Locksley was a young learner, just like I was. I guess I needed to explain things to him like he was one. But he seemed intelligent, he should understand rather quickly. "Let me answer with another question. Do you ever look up at roofs during your normal day routine?"

He paused in his tracks. He finally tilted his head to the side in utter confusion. "No…I guess I don't."

I nodded. "Most people go about their days with their heads to the ground, looking where they step. They occasionally look ahead, to see if someone they know is around or maybe because they're in a hurry. But rarely does anyone ever look up. Nothing they ever need is up. Unless they're checking the weather."

Locksley seemed to take that easily. "Ok, but how come no one ever reacts to us walking on their roofs? Don't they hear us running up here?"

"By the time they hear us, we're already on someone else's roof. If they look for us, they might find us, but what then? Complain to the guards about a random man running across their roof? They might, but what would that do for them?"

Locksley seemed to nod. "Ok, I think I understand. Pretty much what you're telling me is that we're safer up here because people are too complacent and lazy to do anything about us being up here."

"Exactly. The only ones that will notice us are the guards themselves. Now, we could go down and join the normal people in the streets, but we might run into that one mentally deranged person who will shove us around for no reason. That might catch unwanted guard attention and we might find ourselves in a fight that we don't really need to be in. Oh, and just so you know: if you get in a fight with guards, just run away and hide. Hide by jumping in a pile of hay, sitting on a bench, or just take off your cloak and lean against the wall. The guards are always too stupid to suspect you'd actually hide from them."

Locksley nodded his head again, scrunching his face up in thought. "You've done this a lot before, haven't you?"

I shrugged. "It's all taught in our evasion class. I've never tried it out myself. I've always just fought my adversaries head-on until they're all dead."

"Oy, you!" The voice of a knight caused me to step away from the edge of the roof and shirk away anyone's view of me. Standing just beneath me was a group of knights pulling a wagon filled with iron pots and pans. He wasn't looking up at me. He was looking at the doorway underneath me. "Open up! Under the King's decree, open this door!"

I head the door open up and some old man answered. "What brings you here?"

The knight pulled him out into the streets, throwing him on the dirt road. "New law has been put in place. Because of the iron incident that has diminished our iron reservoirs, all citizens are ordered to give up their iron possessions to be given to the royal smelter. We need new building supplies to fix the wall that has been broken, as well as repair the harbor and ships that were ruined last night. Henceforth, a new tax has been added to the town of Nottingham. The Crone demands 100 gold coins or 500 silver coins. If you cannot provide these coins, we have been ordered to seize all property necessary to fill the tax." The knights began rushing into the house. I could hear the commotion from my hiding spot.

Locksley was almost growling to himself. "What bullshit! This is just the King taking everything he can from the hard-working citizens and putting it in his lap." He started pulling his bow off his back. "I'm going to go kill them."

I brought my hand up to stop him. "No, how about we do this my way?"

He glared at me. "And what do you suggest?"

I closed my eyes in thought. What would really send a message? Killing these knights would only increase problems with the people, and taking the iron back would only instigate another collection, as well retaliation. I had to think up some way to fix this without causing more trouble for the city. But, what could I do? "They said that they were going to smelt all the iron. What if we broke the smelter, not just broke it, but blew it up with black powder?"

"How does that fix this?" He threw back at me. "They're stealing from the poor! Taking from the rich and giving to the poor is kind of my thing."

I nodded to him. He had a good point. It wasn't a good enough of a message. But…if Locksley and his men telegraphed that they were behind this…it would take all responsibility off the citizens. For a while at least. If the people got too fed up with the King, there might be a revolt too. The people would only take so much before taking it themselves. This town really needed my help. And I wasn't allowed to take like needlessly. I might just have to if it will save this town, despite my orders. A good start would be Duke Wolfe. He was responsible for this outbreak anyway.

"Since you are known for doing this…do it. Go and do what you do. I will go and blow up the smelter." I looked back at Locksley. He seemed pleased with my permission.

"You're not a stupid as you seem, Assassin." He replied as he started heading to the edge of the roof. "I'll start right here."

…

[Little Red]

"Are you sure it's ok to come here? My brother said to say outside the town." Laila asked as she followed me back into my house.

My house looked ransacked. Every jar of everything I had was taken, my circle disrupted, my iron pots stolen. Jeez, I leave for one night and I lose everything I had! What happened? I shrugged my shoulders in defeat, looking around my kitchen. There was nothing left at all. "Well, it's was a waste anyway. The knights have taken everything I have. They even stole my cinnamon and my pepper flakes."

Laila scanned the room for anything. "Just what are we looking for anyway?"

"The camp is short on supplies, so I thought I'd bring some stuff: pots, pans, blankets. Anything I thought we would need in camp."

Laila nodded and started heading for the staircase leading to the basement. "Ok, I'll see what I can find."

While she looked downstairs, I walked into the living room. All my jars of obscure objects were missing as well. My other circle was also painted over, breaking its magical hold. My candles were smashed flat and I swear that part of the room had caught on fire. The staircase leading up to the second floor was spotless, though. Perhaps they left after ransacking this floor. Marching up the stairs proved me wrong. My bed was stripped clean, even the bed was missing. My curtains were taken as well. My ironing iron was gone. Why was all my iron gone?

Scratching my head, I looked in the bathroom. I found a few rolls of toilet paper. That was a mission success right there. I threw those in my bag and started walking downstairs. I wondered when I could come back to this house. When would it be safe for me to live like I used to. Then again, if I just moved to York or something, I'm sure I'd be just fine. But I shouldn't have to leave my own town just to live.

I waited in the living room for Laila. "Hey! I found some boxes of tea! Are we taking that?" Her muffled voice called from the basement.

"Yes!" I screamed back. Tea was definitely something we wanted to take with us. It would make our mornings more durable at least.

That's when I heard a knock at my door. It took me by surprise. Did a knight hear me scream? Did they suspect I was back and getting ready to kill me like I saw the other bodies? I started to back away from the door as quietly as I could, but the doorknob started to twist. I seemed to freeze in my place as the door flew open slowly, and a small girl wearing a black dress and a yellow duck-shaped hat stepped into my house. She froze when she saw me, as I did when I saw her.

She was carrying a small staff with a quartz crystal embedded in the top. She had long black hair and was as pale as I was. She looked only nine or something. She looked up at me with her bright red eyes. I wasn't sure if she was scanning me or just stunned. I had gotten similar stares from Father Jingleheimer and Mother Bo-Peep. She smiled at me as she slung a giant sack off her back, throwing it on the ground. "Good, you're here. I suspected you'd be dead. But…I thought I could feel your presence." She laughed as she closed the door behind her. "That's good. I hoped I wasn't too late."

I paused in my place. "Um…who are you?"

She pointed up to her hat, saying, "You don't know the Little Duckling when you see her?" She spun around, throwing herself into a pose. "I'm Little Duckling!" Then she reached into her sack, pulling out a small duckling. "And this is my familiar: Ugly." She pushed it towards my face. "Say 'hi', Ugly!" The duckling peeped at me.

"Um…Ok. Hi, Ugly. And Little Duckling, what are you doing here?" The little girl paused for a second; thinking about what she was going to say.

She finally shrugged and said, "First off, don't call me Little Duckling. Just call me Vicky. And secondly…" She looked around the room, taking in all the damage that had been done. "It's just like I saw in my vision. Things are growing worse." She paced around the room, looking down at my circle for a second before saying, "My mother sent me here to keep this coven alive. She'd come if she were able, but she's needed in York right now."

"And who's your mother?" I did not like where this was going. And I think I did.

She turned and smiled at me. "Mother Goose, of course!" She laughed as she ran up to me. "And that makes me a gosling as well." She nodded as she crossed her arms. "Yup, Mother wants me to help rebuild this coven. I'm the new Mother Goose!"

"But you're nine!" Laila called from the kitchen behind me. "How can you be…whatever you said you were?"

Vicky looked over at Laila with that same distant stare. She finally smiled and said, "Hi, I'm Little Duckling, but call me Vicky." She ran up to Laila, throwing her into a hug. "Thank you for saving my sisters."

Laila froze on the stop, looking to me for answers. I shrugged in return. "So, you're our new Coven Mother? So…are you in charge of us then?"

Vicky shook her head. "Not really, Mommy is. She'll tell me what to do through this crystal ball." She pulled out a small clear ball. "At least until she can send a replacement for me. Mother Bo-Peep was one of her best friends. It will be hard to replace her. So, I'm here to watch over you until she can send someone else." She looked around the room a few more times before sighing. "I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

I shook my head. "No, someone broke into my house and stole all my stuff. But…we do have some food at our camp out in the forest."

She frowned at hearing that. "We're going camping?" She whined. "I hate camping." She crossed her arms and sighed again. "I have to fix this immediately."

…

[Malik]

After following the carts of iron for the past hour or so, I could see where the smelter was. It was in the castle, well, in the courtyard. That would mean that I would have to blow up the courtyard. That would be easy enough. I already had plenty of bags of black powder. All I had to do was throw it in the smelting pot. Enough of it would blow it up. If I kept throwing more, it should blow it all up. Of course, I had some of Little Red's 'special' powder. I went by her house earlier and collected some documented explosive powder. I'm sure she won't mind.

And on the way out, I saw the oddest thing. This little girl with a duck hat walking across town while knights were beating civilians to near-death. They didn't even bat an eye at her, and she didn't seem to be bothered by them either. She was humming a tune that reminded me of my mother's song. It was a little different, but so close that I almost found myself getting lost in an old memory. But, I couldn't stop to think about it. I did have a mission to perform after all.

So, instead of carefully climbing down and placing the bag on the device, I thought I'd just attach a bag onto the crossbow I had. Just to make it more fun, I placed one of those red-tipped bolts that explode. That should create a big bang. The bag I selected was the 'explosive' powder Red used. So, when I had the small bag secured to the bolt and the crossbow aimed at the smelter, I waited and watched as the iron maker went about his errands. Knights paced around the ground, watching for any surprises, but not looking up at the roof (where I was sitting).

I finally found my chance as the iron maker stepped away from the smelter to grab more iron pots that were in the cart. I released the bolt and instantly the smelter seemed to disappear into a massive cloud of purple smoke and fire. The entire courtyard seemed to explode with the force. It was strong enough that I was thrown off my feet by the shockwave. I was taken off my feet and flew off of the roof. I looked down as the roof disappeared. I closed my eyes and spread my arms out. Hopefully I would land on something soft.

"Cloud cover!" I heard a child cry. I landed on something soft, something absorbent. When I opened my eyes, I could see that I was sitting on what appeared to be clouds. Very soft, bouncy clouds. I looked up to see that little girl from earlier. She smiled at me, sticking out her hand. "Hi, I'm Little Duckling! But you can call me…" She glared at me with sharp red eyes. "Mother Goose." She reached up and snatched me by my left ear, pulling me as she started to walk away. "We need to talk." Her tone had become sharp and disapproving. I tried to pull my ear free but her pinching fingers seemed to lock onto my ear. I can't believe it! I was being dragged around by a seven year-old! And she was the Mother Goose I've been hearing about. Ah, man…I'm in trouble.

* * *

**Cearbhail: **_Next chapter should be pretty boring, but I'll think of something intestesting to do._


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